A  SPLENDID 
HAZARD 


HAROLD  MACGRATH 


A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 


By  HAROLD  MACGRATH 

THE  GOOSE  GIRL 

Illustrated  by  Andre*  Castaigne 

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THE  LURE  OF  THE  MASK 

Illustrated  by  Harrison  Fisher 

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THE  ENCHANTED  HAT 

Illustrated  by  Will  Grefe 

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THE  BEST  MAN 

Illustrated  by  Will  Grefe" 

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HALF  A  ROGUE 

Illustrated  by  Harrison  Fisher 

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HEARTS  AND  MASKS 

Illustrated  by  Harrison  Fisher 

Decorations  by  Ralph  Fletcher  Seymour 

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THE  PRINCESS  ELOPES 

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ENCHANTMENT 

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THE  MAN  ON  THE  BOX 

Illustrated  by  Harrison  Fisher 

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THE  GREY  CLOAK 

Illustrated  by  Thomas  Mitchell  Peirce 

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THE  PUPPET  CROWN 

Illustrated  by  R.  Martine  Reay 

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A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 


By 
HAROLD  MACGRATH 

Author  of 

THE  GOOSE  GIRL,  THE  LURE  OF  THE  MASK 
THE  MAN  ON  THE  BOX 


With  Illustrations  by 
HOWARD  CHANDLER  CHRISTY 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1910 
THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 


PRESS  OF 

BRAUNWORTH  &  CO. 

BOOKBINDERS.  AND  PRINTERS 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PACK 

I  A  MEMORABLE  DATE i 

II  THE  BUTTERFLY  MAN 23 

III  A  PLASTER  STATUETTE 35 

IV  PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES       ....  51 
V  No  FALSE  PRETENSES 66 

VI  SOME  EXPLANATIONS          .       .       .       .  '* '   .  81 

VII  A  BIT  OF  ROMANTIC  HISTORY           ...  94 

VIII  SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY        ....  106 

IX  THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER    .....  122 

X  THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME       ...  136 

XI   PREPARATIONS  AND  COGITATIONS    .       .       .  150 

XII   M.  FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF        .       .  168 

XIII  THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW          ....  182 

XIV  THE  DRAMA  BEGINS           198 

XV  THEY  Go  A-SAILING 215 

XVI  CROSS-PURPOSES 228 

XVII   A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS          ....  242 

XVIII   CATHEWE  ADVISES  AND  THE  ADMIRAL  DISCLOSES  254 

XIX  BREITMANN  MAKES  His  FIRST  BLUNDER       .  265 

XX  AN  OLD  SCANDAL        ......  273 

XXI  CAPTAIN  FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        .       .  287 

XXII  THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT      .       .       .  302 

XXIII  CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS        ....  314 

XXIV  THE  PINES  OF  AITONE 327 

XXV  THE  DUPE 345 

XXVI   THE  END  OF  THE  DREAM           ....  360 


2052684 


A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 


A  SPLENDID   HAZARD 

CHAPTER  I 

A    MEMORABLE   DATE 

A  BLURRING  rain  fell  upon  Paris  that  day;  a 
rain  so  fine  and  cold  that  it  penetrated  the 
soles  of  men's  shoes  and  their  hearts  alike,  a 
dispiriting  drizzle  through  which  the  pale,  acrid 
smoke  of  innumerable  wood  fires  faltered  upward 
from  the  clustering  chimney-pots,  only  to  be  rent 
into  fragments  and  beaten  down  upon  the  glistening 
tiles  of  the  mansard  roofs.  The  wide  asphalts  re 
flected  the  horses  and  carriages  and  trains  and 
pedestrians  in  forms  grotesque,  zigzagging,  flitting, 
amusing,  like  a  shadow-play  upon  a  wrinkled,  wind 
blown  curtain.  The  sixteenth  of  June.  To  Fitz 
gerald  there  was  something  electric  in  the  date,  a 
tingle  of  that  ecstasy  which  frequently  comes  into 
the  blood  of  a  man  to  whom  the  romance  of  a  great 
battle  is  more  than  its  history  or  its  effect  upon  the 
destinies  of  human  beings.  Many  years  before, 

I 


2  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

this  date  had  marked  the  end  to  a  certain  hundred 
days,  the  eclipse  of  a  sun  more  dazzling  than  Rome, 
in  the  heyday  of  her  august  Caesars,  had  ever 
known:  Waterloo.  A  little  corporal  of  artillery; 
from  a  cocked  hat  to  a  crown,  from  Corsica  to  St. 
Helena:  Napoleon. 

Fitzgerald,  as  he  pressed  his  way  along  the  Boule 
vard  des  Invalides,  his  umbrella  swaying  and  snap 
ping  in  the  wind  much  like  the  sail  of  a  derelict, 
could  see  in  fancy  that  celebrated  field  whereon  this 
eclipse  had  been  supernally  prearranged.  He  could 
hear  the  boom  of  cannon,  the  thunder  of  cavalry, 
the  patter  of  musketry,  now  thick,  now  scattered, 
and  again  not  unlike  the  subdued  rattle  of  rain  on 
the  bulging  silk  careening  before  him.  He  held  the 
handle  of  the  umbrella  under  his  arm,  for  the  wind 
had  a  temper  mawling  and  destructive,  and  veered 
into  the  Place  V unban.  Another  man,  coming  with 
equal  haste  from  the  opposite  direction,  from  the 
entrance  of  the  tomb  itself,  was  also  two  parts  hid 
den  behind  an  umbrella.  The  two  came  together 
with  a  jolt  as  sounding  as  that  of  two  old  crusaders 
in  a  friendly  just.  Instantly  they  retreated,  lower 
ing  their  shields. 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  3 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Fitzgerald  in  French. 

"  It  is  of  no  consequence,"  replied  the  stranger, 
laughing.  "  This  is  always  a  devil  of  a  corner  on 
a  windy  day."  His  French  had  a  slight  German 
twist  to  it. 

Briefly  they  inspected  each  other,  as  strangers 
will,  carelessly,  with  annoyance  and  amusement  in- 
terplaying  in  their  eyes  and  on  their  lips,  all  in  a 
trifling  moment.  Then  each  raised  his  hat  and 
proceeded,  as  tranquilly  and  unconcernedly  as 
though  destiny  had  no  ulterior  motive  in  bringing 
them  thus  really  together.  And  yet,  when  they 
had  passed  and  disappeared  from  each  other's 
view,  both  were  struck  with  the  fact  that  somewhere 
they  had  met  before. 

Fitzgerald  went  into  the  tomb,  his  head  bared. 
The  marble  underfoot  bore  the  imprint  of  many 
shoes  and  rubbers  and  hobnails,  of  all  sizes  and  — 
mayhap  —  of  all  nations.  He  recollected,  with  a 
burn  on  his  cheeks,  a  sacrilege  of  his  raw  and  eager 
youth,  some  twelve  years  since;  he  had  forgotten 
to  take  off  his  hat.  Never  would  he  forget  the  em 
barrassment  of  that  moment  when  the  attendant 
peremptorily  bade  him  remove  it.  He,  to  have  for- 


4  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

gotten!  He,  who  held  Napoleon  above  all  heroes! 
The  shame  of  it ! 

To-day  many  old  soldiers  were  gathered  medita 
tively  round  the  heavy  circular  railing.  They  were 
always  drawn  hither  on  memorable  anniversaries. 
Their  sires  and  grandsir.es  had  carried  some  of 
those  tattered  flags,  had  won  them.  The  tides  of 
time  might  ebb  and  flow,  but  down  there,  in  his 
block  of  Siberian  porphyry,  slept  the  hero.  There 
were  some  few  tourists  about  this  afternoon,  mut 
tering  over  their  guide-books,  when  nothing  is 
needed  on  this  spot  but  the  imagination;  and  that 
solemn  quiet  of  which  the  tomb  is  ever  jealous 
pressed  down  sadly  upon  the  living.  Through  the 
yellow  panes  at  the  back  of  the  high  altar  came  a 
glow  suggesting  sunshine,  baffling  the  drab  of  the 
sky  outside;  and  down  in  the  crypt  itself  the  misty 
blue  was  as  effective  as  moonshine. 

Napoleon  had  always  been  Fitzgerald's  ideal 
hero;  but  he  did  not  worship  him  blindly,  no.  He 
knew  him  to  have  been  a  brutal,  domineering  man, 
unscrupulous  in  politics,  to  whom  woman  was  either 
a  temporary  toy  or  a  stepping-stone,  not  over 
particular  whether  she  was  a  dairy-maid  or  an 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  5 

Austrian  princess;  in  fact,  a  rascal,  but  a  great,  in 
ventive,  splendid,  courageous  one,  the  kind  which 
nature  calls  forth  every  score  of  years  to  purge  her 
breast  of  the  petty  rascals,  to  the  benefit  of  mankind 
in  general.  Notwithstanding  that  he  was  a  rascal, 
there  was  an  inextinguishable  glamour  about  the 
man  against  which  the  bolts  of  truth,  history,  let 
ters,  biographers  broke  ineffectually.  Oh,  but  he 
had  shaken  up  all  Europe;  he  had  made  precious 
kings  rattle  in  their  shoes;  he  had  redrawn  a  hun 
dred  maps;  and  men  had  laughed  as  they  died  for 
him.  It  is  something  for  a  rascal  to  have  evolved 
the  Code  Napoleon.  What  a  queer  satisfaction  it 
must  be,  even  at  this  late  day,  nearly  a  hundred 
years  removed,  to  any  Englishman,  standing  above 
this  crypt,  to  recollect  that  upon  English  soil  the 
Great  Shadow  had  never  set  his  iron  heel ! 

Near  to  Fitzgerald  stood  an  elderly  man  and  a  girl. 
The  old  fellow  was  a  fine  type  of  manhood ;  perhaps 
in  the  sixties,  white-haired,  and  the  ruddy  enamel 
on  his  cheeks  spoke  eloquently  of  sea  changes  and 
many  angles  of  the  sun.  There  was  a  button  in 
the  lapel  of  his  coat,  and  from  this  Fitzgerald  as 
sumed  that  he  was  a  naval  officer,  probably  retired. 


6  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

The  girl  rested  upon  the  railing,  her  hands  folded, 
and  dreamily  her  gaze  wandered  from  trophy  to 
trophy ;  from  the  sarcophagus  to  the  encircling  faces, 
from  one  window  to  another,  and  again  to  the 
porphyry  beneath.  And  Fitzgerald's  gaze  wan 
dered,  too.  For  the  girl's  face  was  of  that  mold 
which  invariably  draws  first  the  eye  of  a  man,  then 
his  intellect,  then  his  heart,  and  sometimes  all  three 
at  once.  The  face  was  as  lovely  as  a  rose  of 
Taormina.  Dark  brown  were  her  eyes,  dark  brown 
was  her  hair.  She  was  tall  and  lithe,  too,  with  the 
subtle  hint  of  the  woman.  There  were  good  taste 
and  sense  in  her  garments.  A  bunch  of  Parma  vio 
lets  was  pinned  against  her  breast. 

"A  well-bred  girl,"  was  the  grateful  spectator's 
silent  comment.  "  No  new  money  there.  I  wish 
they'd  send  more  of  them  over  here.  But  it  appears 
that,  with  few  exceptions,  only  freaks  can  afford  to 
travel." 

Between  Fitzgerald  and  the  girl  was  a  veteran. 
He  had  turned  eighty  if  a  day.  His  face  was 
powder-blown,  an  empty  sleeve  was  folded  across 
his  breast,  and  the  medal  of  the  Legion  of  Honor 
fell  over  the  sleeve.  As  the  girl  and  her  elderly 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  7 

escort,  presumably  her  father,  turned  about  to  leave, 
she  unpinned  the  flowers  and  offered  them  impul 
sively  to  the  aged  hero. 

"  Take  these,  rnon  brave"  she  said  lightly ;  "  you 
have  fought  for  France." 

The  old  man  was  confused  and  his  faded  eyes 
filled.  "  For  me,  mademoiselle  ?  " 

"Surely!" 

"  Thanks,  mademoiselle,  thanks !  I  saw  him 
when  they  brought  him  back  from  St.  Helena,  and 
the  Old  Guard  waded  out  into  the  Seine.  Those 
were  days.  Thanks,  mademoiselle;  an  old  soldier 
salutes  you !  "  And  the  time-bent,  withered  form 
grew  tall. 

Fitzgerald  cleared  his  throat,  for  just  then  some 
thing  hard  had  formed  there.  Why,  God  bless  her ! 
She  was  the  kind  of  girl  who  became  the  mother 
of  soldiers. 

With  her  departure  his  present  interest  here  be 
gan  to  wane.  He  wondered  who  she  might  be  and 
what  part  of  his  native  land  she  adorned  when  not 
gracing  European  capitals.  Well,  this  was  no  time 
for  mooning.  He  had  arrived  from  London  the 
day  preceeding,  and  was  leaving  for  Corfu  on  the 


8  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

morrow,  and  perforce  he  must  crowd  many  things 
into  this  short  grace  of  time.  He  was  only  mod 
erately  fond  of  Paris  as  a  city;  the  cafes  and  restau 
rants  and  theaters  amused  him,  to  be  sure;  but  he 
was  always  hunting  for  romance  here  and  never 
finding  it.  The  Paris  of  his  Dumas  and  Leloir  no 
longer  existed.  In  one  way  or  another,  the  Louvre 
did  not  carry  him  back  to  the  beloved  days;  he 
could  not  rouse  his  fancy  to  such  height  that  he 
could  see  D'Artagnan  ruffling  it  on  the  staircase, 
or  Porthos  sporting  a  gold  baldric,  which  was  only 
leather,  under  his  cloak.  So  then,  the  tomb  of 
Napoleon  and  the  articles  of  clothing  and  warfare 
which  had  belonged  to  him  and  the  toys  of  the  poor 
little  king  of  Rome  were  far  more  to  him  than  all 
the  rest  of  Paris  put  together.  These  things  of  the 
first  great  empire  were  tangible,  visible,  close  to  the* 
touch  of  his  hand.  Therefore,  never  he  came  to 
Paris  that  he  failed  to  visit  the  tomb  and  the  two 
museums. 

To-day  his  sight-seeing  ended  in  the  hall  of 
Tttrenne,  before  the  souvenirs  of  the  Due  de  Reich- 
stadt,  so-called  the  king  of  Rome.  Poor,  little 
lead  soldiers,  tarnished  and  broken ;  what  a  pathetic 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  9 

history!  Abused,  ignored,  his  childish  aspirations 
trampled  on,  the  name  and  glory  of  his  father  made 
sport  of;  worried  as  cruel  children  worry  a  puppy; 
tantalized;  hoping  against  hope  that  this  night  or 
the  next  his  father  would  dash  in  at  the  head  of  the 
Old  Guard  and  take  him  back  to  Paris.  A  play 
thing  for  Metternich!  Who  can  gaze  upon  these 
little  toys  without  a  thrill  of  pity? 

"  Poor  little  codger ! "  Fitzgerald  murmured 
aloud. 

"  Yes,  yes !  "  agreed  a  voice  in  good  English,  over 
his  shoulder;  "who  will  evier  realize  the  misery  of 
that  boy?" 

Fitzgerald  at  once  recognized  his  justing  op 
ponent  of  the  previous  hour.  Further,  this  second 
appearance  refreshed  his  memory.  He  knew  now 
where  he  had  met  the  man;  he  even  recalled  his 
name. 

"  Are  you  not  Karl  Breitmann  ?  "  he  asked  with 
directness. 

"  Yes.  And  you  are  —  let  me  think.  Yes ;  I 
have  it.  You  are  the  American  correspondent, 
Fitzgerald." 


io  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  And  we  met  in  Macedonia  during  the  Greek 
war." 

"  Right.  And  you  and  I,  with  a  handful  of  other 
scribblers,  slept  that  night  under  the  same  tent." 

"By  George!" 

"  I  did  not  recall  you  when  we  bumped  a  while 
ago ;  but  once  I  had  gone  by  you,  your  face  became 
singularly  familiar." 

"  Funny,  isn't  it  ?  "  And  Fitzgerald  took  hold 
of  the  extended  hand.  "  The  sight  of  these  toys 
always  gets  into  my  heart." 

"  Into  mine  also.  Who  can  say  what  might  have 
been  had  they  not  crushed  out  the  great  spirit  lying 
dormant  in  his  little  soul?  I  saw  Bernhardt  and 
Coquelin  recently  in  L'Aiglon.  Ah,  but  they  play 
it!  It  drove  me  here  to-day.  But  this  three-cor 
nered  hat  holds  me  longest,"  with  a  quick  gesture 
toward  the  opposite  wall.  "  Can't  you  see  the  lean 
face  under  it,  the  dark  eyes,  the  dark  hair  falling 
upon  his  collar?  What  thoughts  have  run  riot 
under  this  piece  of  felt?  The  brain,  the  brain!  A 
lieutenant  at  this  time;  a  short,  wiry,  cold-blooded 
youngster,  but  dreaming  the  greatest  dream  in  the 
world!" 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  11 

Fitzgerald  smiled.  "  You  are  an  enthusiast  like 
myself." 

"  Who  wouldn't  be  who  has  visited  every  battle 
field,  who  has  spent  days  wandering  about  Corsica, 
Elba,  St.  Helena  ?  But  you  ?  " 

"  My  word,  I  have  done  the  same  things." 

They  exchanged  smiles. 

"  What  written  tale  can  compare  with  this  living 
one?"  continued  Breitmann,  his  eyes  brilliant,  his 
voice  eager  and  the  tone  rich.  "  Ah !  How  many 
times  have  I  berated  the  day  I  was  born !  To  have 
lived  in  that  day,  to  have  been  a  part  of  that  be 
wildering  war  panorama ;  from  Toulon  to  Waterloo ! 
Pardon ;  perhaps  I  bore  you  ?  " 

"  By  George,  no !  I'm  as  bad,  if  not  worse.  I 
shall  never  forgive  one  of  my  forebears  for  serving 
under  Wellington." 

"  Nor  I  one  of  mine  for  serving  under 
Bliicher!" 

They  laughed  aloud  this  time.  It  is  always 
pleasant  to  meet  a  person  who  waxes  enthusiastic 
over  the  same  things  as  oneself.  And  Fitzgerald 
was  drawn  toward  this  comparative  stranger,  who 
was  not  ashamed  to  speak  from  his  heart.  They 


12  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

drifted  into  a  long  conversation,  and  fought  a 
dozen  battles,  compared  this  general  and  that,  and 
built  idle  fancies  upon  what  the  outcome  would 
have  been  had  Napoleon  won  at  Waterloo.  This 
might  have  gone  on  indefinitely  had  not  the  patient 
attendant  finally  dandled  his  keys  and  yawned  over 
his  watch.  It  was  four  o'clock,  and  they  had  been 
talking  for  a  full  hour.  They  exchanged  cards, 
and  Fitzgerald,  with  his  usual  disregard  of  con 
vention,  invited  Breitmann  to  dine  with  him  that 
evening  at  the  Meurice. 

He  selected  a  table  by  the  window,  dining  at 
seven-thirty.  Breitmann  was  prompt.  In  evening 
clothes  there  was  something  distinctive  about  the 
man.  Fitzgerald,  who  was  himself  a  wide  traveler 
and  a  man  of  the  world,  instantly  saw  and  was 
agreeably  surprised  that  he  had  asked  a  gentleman 
to  dine.  Fitzgerald  was  no  cad;  he  would  have 
been  just  as  much  interested  in  Breitmann  had  he 
arrived  in  a  cutaway  sack.  But  chance  acquaint 
ances,  as  a  rule,  are  rudimental  experiments. 

They  sat  down.  Breitmann  was  full  of  sur 
prises;  and  as  the  evening  wore  on,  Fitzgerald  re 
membered  having  seen  Breitmann's  name  at  the 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  13 

foot  of  big  newspaper  stories.  The  man  had 
traveled  everywhere,  spoke  five  languages,  had  been 
a  war  correspondent,  a  sailor  in  the  South  Seas, 
and  Heaven  knew  what  else.  He  had  ridden  camels 
and  polo  ponies  in  the  Soudan ;  he  had  been  shot  in 
the  Grseco-Turkish  war,  shortly  after  his  having 
met  Fitzgerald;  he  had  played  a  part  in  the  recent 
Spanish-American,  and  had  fought  against  the 
English  in  the  Transvaal. 

"And  now  I  am  resting,"  he  concluded,  turning 
his  chambertin  round  and  round,  giving  the  effect 
of  a  cluster  of  rubies  on  the  table  linen.  "  And 
all  my  adventures  have  been  as  profitable  as  these," 
indebted  for  the  moment  to  the  phantom  rubies. 
"  But  it's  all  a  great  stage,  whether  you  play  be 
hind  the  wings  or  before  the  lights.  I  am  thirty- 
eight;  into  twenty  of  those  years  I  have  crowded  a 
century." 

"  You  don't  look  it." 

"Ah,  one  does  not  need  to  dissipate  to  live 
quickly.  The  life  I  have  led  has  kept  me  in  health 
and  vigor.  But  you?  You  are  not  a  man  who 
travels  without  gaining  material." 

"  I  have  had  a  few  adventures,  something  like 


14  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

yours,  only  not  so  widely  diversified.  I  wrote  some 
successful  short  stories  about  China  once.  I  have 
had  some  good  sport,  too,  here  and  there." 

"  You  live  well  for  a  newspaper  correspondent/' 
suggested  Breitmann,  nodding  at  the  bottle  of 
twenty-eight-year-old  Burgundy. 

"  Oh,  it's  a  habit  we  Americans  have,"  amiably. 
"  We  rough  it  for  a  few  months  on  bacon  and  liver, 
and  then  turn  our  attention  to  truffles  and  old  wines 
and  Cabanas  at  two-francs-fifty.  We  are  collec 
tively,  a  good  sort  of  vagabond.  I  have  a  little 
besides  my  work;  not  much,  but  enough  to  loaf  on 
when  no  newspaper  or  magazine  cares  to  pay  my 
expenses  in  Europe.  Anyhow,  I  prefer  this  work 
to  staying  home  to  be  hampered  by  intellectual 
boundaries.  My  vest  will  never  reach  the  true  pro 
portions  which  would  make  me  successful  in 
politics." 

"  You  are  luckier  than  I  am,"  Breitmann  replied. 
He  sipped  his  wine  slowly  and  with  relish.  How 
long  was  it  since  he  had  tasted  a  good  chambertin? 

Perhaps  Fitzgerald  had  noticed  it  when  Breit 
mann  came  in.  The  latter's  velvet  collar  was  worn ; 
there  was  a  suspicious  gloss  at  the  elbows;  the 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  15 

cuff  buttons  were  of  cheap  metal;  his  fingers  were 
without  rings.  But  the  American  readily  under 
stood.  There  are  lean  years  and  fat  years  in 
journalism,  and  he  himself  had  known  them.  For 
the  present  this  man  was  a  little  down  on  his  luck; 
that  was  all. 

A  party  came  in  and  took  the  near  table.  There 
were  four ;  two  elderly  men,  an  elderly  woman,  and 
a  girl.  Fitzgerald,  as  he  side-glanced,  was  afforded 
a  shiver  of  pleasure.  He  recognized  the  girl.  It 
was  she  who  had  given  the  flowers  to  the  veteran. 

"  That  is  a  remarkably  fine  young  woman,"  said 
Breitmann,  echoing  Fitzgerald's  thought. 

The  waiter  opened  the  champagne. 

"  Yes.  I  saw  her  give  some  violets  this  after 
noon  to  an  old  soldier  in  the  tomb.  It  was  a  pretty 
scene." 

"  Well,"  said  Breitmann,  raising  his  glass,  "  a 
pretty  woman  and  a  bottle ! " 

It  was  the  first  jarring  note,  and  Fitzgerald 
frowned. 

"  Pardon  me,"  added  Breitmann,  observing  the 
impression  he  had  made,  smiling,  and  when  he 
smiled  the  student  slashes  in  his  cheeks  weren't  so 


16  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

noticeable.  "  What  I  should  have  said  is,  a  good 
woman  and  a  good  bottle.  For  what  greater  de 
light  than  to  sip  a  rare  vintage  with  a  woman  of 
beauty  and  intellect  opposite?  One  glass  is  enough 
to  loose  her  laughter,  her  wit,  her  charm.  Bah! 
A  man  who  knows  how  to  drink  his  wine,  a  woman 
who  knows  when  to  laugh,  a  story-teller  who  stops 
when  his  point  is  told;  these  trifles  add  a  little  color 
as  we  pass.  Will  you  drink  to  my  success  ?  " 

"  In  what  ?  "  with  Yankee  caution. 

"  In  whatever  the  future  sees  fit  to  place  under 
my  hand." 

"  With  pleasure !  And  by  the  same  token  you 
will  wish  me  the  same?" 

"Gladly!" 

Their  glasses  touched  lightly;  and  then  their 
glances,  drawn  by  some  occult  force,  half -circled 
till  they  paused  on  the  face  of  the  girl,  who,  per 
haps  compelled  by  the  same  invisible  power,  had 
leveled  her  eyes  in  their  direction.  With  well-bred 
calm  her  interest  returned  to  her  companions,  and 
the  incident  was,  to  all  outward  sign,  closed.  What 
ever  took  place  behind  that  beautiful  but  indifferent 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  17 

mask  no  one  else  ever  learned;  but  simultaneously 
in  the  minds  of  these  two  adventurers  —  and  surely, 
to  call  a  man  an  adventurer  does  not  necessarily 
imply  that  he  is  a  chevalier  d'industrie  —  a  thought, 
tinged  with  regret  and  loneliness,  was  born ;  to  have 
and  to  hold  a  maid  like  that.  Love  at  first  sight  is 
the  false  metal  sometimes  offered  by  poets  as  gold, 
in  quatrains,  distiches,  verses,  and  stanzas,  tolerated 
because  of  the  license  which  allows  them  to  give 
passing  interest  the  name  of  love.  If  these  two 
men  thought  of  love  it  was  only  as  bystanders, 
witnessing  the  pomp  and  panoply  —  favored 
phrase !  —  of  Venus  and  her  court  from  a  curbstone, 
might  have  thought  of  it.  Doubtless  they  had  had 
an  affair  here  and  there,  over  the  broad  face  of  the 
world,  but  there  had  never  been  any  barbs  on  the 
arrows,  thus  easily  plucked  out. 

"  Sometimes,  knowing  that  I  shall  never  be  rich, 
I  have  desired  a  title,"  remarked  Fitzgerald  humor 
ously. 

"  And  what  would  you  do  with  it?  "  curiously. 

"  Oh,  I'd  use  it  against  porters,  and  waiters,  and 
officials.  There's  nothing  like  it.  I  have  observed 


i8  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

a  good  deal.  It  has  a  magic  sound,  like  Orpheus' 
lyre;  the  stiffest  back  becomes  supine  at  the  first 
twinkle  of  it." 

"  I  should  like  to  travel  with  you,  Mr.  Fitzgerald," 
said  Breitmann  musingly.  "  You  would  be  good 
company.  Some  day,  perhaps,  I'll  try  your  pre 
scription;  but  I'm  only  a  poor  devil  of  a  homeless, 
landless  baron." 

Fitzgerald  sat  up.     "  You  surprise  me." 

"  Yes.  However,  neither  my  father  nor  my 
grandfather  used  it,  and  as  the  pitiful  few  acres 
which  went  with  it  is  a  sterile  Bavarian  hillside,  I 
have  never  used  it,  either.  Besides,  neither  the 
Peerage  nor  the  Almanac  de  Gotha  make  mention 
of  it;  but  still  the  patent  of  nobility  was  legal,  and  I 
could  use  it  despite  the  negligence  of  those  two  au- 
thorties." 

"  You  could  use  it  in  America.  There  are  not 
many  *  Burke's  '  there." 

"  It  amuses  me  to  think  that  I  should  confide  this 
secret  to  you.  The  wine  is  good,  and  perhaps  — 
perhaps  I  was  hungry.  Accept  what  I  have  told 
you  as  a  jest." 

They  both  became  nntalkative  as  the  coffee  came. 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  19 

Fitzgerald  was  musing  over  the  impulse  which  had 
seized  him  in  asking  Breitmann  to  share  his  dinner. 
He  was  genuinely  pleased  that  he  had  done  so,  how 
ever;  but  it  forced  itself  upon  him  that  sometime 
or  other  these  impulses  would  land  him  in  diffi 
culties.  On  his  part  the  recipient  of  this  particular 
impulse  was  also  meditating;  Napoleon  had  been 
utterly  forgotten,  verbally  at  least.  Well,  perhaps 
they  had  threshed  out  that  interesting  topic  during 
the  afternoon.  Finally  he  laid  down  the  end  of  his 
cigarette. 

"  I  have  to  thank  you  very  much  for  a  pleasant 
evening,  Mr.  Fitzgerald." 

"  Glad  I  ran  into  you.  It  has  done  me  no  end 
of  good.  I  leave  for  the  East  to-morrow.  Is  there 
any  possibility  of  seeing  you  in  the  Balkans  this 
fall?" 

"  No.  I  am  going  to  try  my  luck  in  America 
again." 

"  My  club  address  you  will  find  on  my  card. 
You  must  go?  It's  only  the  shank  of  the  even 
ing." 

"  I  have  a  little  work  to  do.  Some  day  I  hope 
I  may  be  able  to  set  as  good  a  dinner  before  you." 


20  'A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Better  have  a  cigar." 

"  No,  thank  you." 

And  Fitzgerald  liked  him  none  the  less  for  his 
firmness.  So  he  went  as  far  as  the  entrance  with 
him. 

"  Don't  bother  about  calling  a  cab,"  said  Breit- 
mann.  "  It  has  stopped  raining,  and  the  walk  will 
tone  me  up.  Good  night  and  good  luck." 

And  they  parted,  neither  ever  expecting  to  see 
the  other  again,  and  equally  careless  whether  they 
did  or  not. 

Breitmann  walked  rapidly  toward  the  river, 
crossed,  and  at  length  entered  a  gloomy  old  pension 
over  a  restaurant  frequented  by  bargemen,  students, 
and  human  driftwood.  As  he  climbed  the  badly 
lighted  stairs,  a  little,  gray-haired  man,  wearing- 
spectacles,  passed  him,  coming  down.  A  "  pardon  " 
was  mumbled,  and  the  little  man  proceeded  into  the 
restaurant,  picked  a  Figaro  from  the  table  littered 
with  newspapers,  ensconced  himself  in  a  comfortable 
chair,  and  ordered  coffee.  No  one  gave  him  more 
than  a  cursory  glance.  The  quarter  was  indigent, 
but  ordinarily  respectable;  and  it  was  only  when 
some  noisy  Americans  invaded  the  place  that  the 


A  MEMORABLE  DATE  21 

habitues  took  any  unusual  interest  in  the  coming 
and  going  of  strangers. 

Up  under  the  mansard  roof  there  was  neither 
gas  nor  electricity.  Breitmann  lighted  his  two 
candles,  divested  himself  of  his  collar,  tie,  and 
coat,  and  flung  them  on  the  bed. 

"  Threadbare,  almost !  Ah,  but  I  was  hungry 
to-night.  Did  he  know  it?  Why  the  devil  should 
I  care?  To  work!  Up  to  this  night  I  have  tried 
to  live  more  or  less  honestly.  I  have  tried  to  take 
the  good  that  is  in  me  and  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
And,"  ironically,  "  this  is  the  result.  I  have  failed. 
Now  we'll  see  what  I  can  accomplish  in  the  way  of 
being  a  great  rascal." 

He  knelt  before  a  small  steamer  trunk,  battered 
and  plentifully  labeled,  and  unscrewed  the  lock. 
From  a  cleverly  concealed  pocket  he  brought  forth 
a  packet  of  papers.  These  he  placed  on  the  table 
and  unfolded  with  almost  reverent  care.  Some 
times  he  shrugged,  as  one  does  who  is  confronted 
by  huge  obstacles,  sometimes  he  laughed  harshly, 
sometimes  his  jaws  hardened  and  his  fingers 
writhed.  .When  he  had  done  —  and  many  and 
many  a  time  he  had  repeated  this  performance, 


22  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

studied  the  faded  ink,  the  great  seal,  the  water 
marks  —  he  hid  them  away  in  the  trunk  again. 

He  now  approached  the  open  window  and  leaned 
out.  Glittering  Paris,  wonderful  city!  How  the 
lights  from  the  bridges  twinkled  on  the  wind- 
wrinkled  Seine!  Over  there  lay  the  third  wealth 
of  the  world;  luxury,  vice,  pleasure.  Eh,  well,  he 
could  not  fight  it,  but  he  could  curse  it  deeply  and 
violently,  which  he  did. 

"  Wait,  Moloch,  wait ;  you  and  I  are  not  done 
with  each  other  yet !  Wait !  I  shall  come  back,  and 
when  I  do,  look  to  yourself!  Two  million  francs, 
and  every  one  of  them  mine !  " 

He  laid  his  head  on  his  hands.  It  ached  dully. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  wine. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   BUTTERFLY   MAN 

THE  passing  and  repassing  shadows  of  craft 
gave  a  fitful  luster  to  the  river;  so  crisply 
white  were  the  spanning  highways  that  the  eye 
grew  quickly  dim  with  looking;  the  brisk  channel 
breeze  which  moved  with  rough  gaiety  through  the 
trees  in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries,  had,  long  hours 
before,  blown  away  the  storm.  Bright  sunshine, 
expanses  of  deep  cerulean  blue,  towering  banks  of 
pleasant  clouds,  these  made  Paris  happy  to-day,  in 
spots. 

The  great  minister  gazed  across  the  river,  his 
hands  under  the  tails  of  his  frock,  and  the  perturba 
tion  of  his  mind  expressed  by  the  frequent  flapping 
of  those  somber  woolen  wings.  To  the  little  man 
who  watched  him,  there  was  a  faint  resemblance  to 
a  fiddling  cricket. 


24  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Sometimes  I  am  minded  to  trust  the  whole 
thing  to  luck,  and  bother  no  more  about  him." 

"Monsieur,  I  have  obeyed  orders  for  seven  years, 
since  we  first  recognized  the  unfortunate  affair. 
Nothing  he  has  done  in  this  period  is  missing  from 
my  note-book;  and  up  to  the  present  time  he  has 
done  —  nothing.  But  just  a  little  more  patience. 
This  very  moment,  when  you  are  inclined  to  drop 
it,  may  be  the  one.  One  way  or  another,  it  is 
a  matter  of  no  real  concern  to  me.  There  will 
always  be  plenty  of  work  for  me  to  do,  in  France, 
or  elsewhere.  But  I  am  like  an  old  soldier  whose 
wound,  twinging  with  rheumatism,  announces  the 
approach  of  damp  weather.  I  have,  then,  monsieur, 
a  kind  of  psychological  rheumatism;  prescience, 
bookmen  call  it.  Presently  we  shall  have  damp 
weather." 

"  You  speak  with  singular  conviction." 

"  In  my  time  I  have  made  very  few  mistakes. 
You  will  recollect  that.  Twenty  years  have  I 
served  France.  I  was  wrong  to  say  that  this  affair 
does  not  concern  me.  I'm  interested  to  see  the  end." 

"But  will  there  be  an  end?"  impatiently.     "If 


THE  BUTTERFLY  MAN  25 

I  were  certain  of  that !  But  seven  years,  and  still  no 
sign." 

"  Monsieur,  he  is  to  be  feared ;  this  inactivity,  to 
my  mind,  proves  it.  He  is  waiting;  the  moment  is 
not  ripe.  There  are  many  sentimental  fools  in  this 
world.  One  has  only  to  step  into  the  street  and 
shout  '  Down  with ! '  or  '  Long  live ! '  to  bring 
these  fools  clattering  about." 

"  That  is  true  enough,"  flapping  the  tails  of  his 
coat  again. 

"  This  fellow  was  born  across  the  Rhine.  He 
has  served  in  the  navy ;  he  is  a  German,  therefore  we 
can  not  touch  him  unless  he  commits  some  overt 
act.  He  waits;  there  is  where  the  danger,  the  real 
danger,  lies.  He  waits ;  and  it  is  his  German  blood 
which  gives  him  this  patience.  A  Frenchman  would 
have  exploded  long  since." 

"  You  have  searched  his  luggage  and  his  rooms, 
times  without  number." 

"  And  found  nothing ;  nothing  that  I  might  use 
effectively.  But  there  is  this  saving  grace;  he  on 
his  side  knows  nothing." 

"  I  would  I  were  sure  of  that  also.     Eh,  well;  I 


26  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

leave  the  affair  in  your  hands,  and  they  are  capable 
ones.  When  the  time  comes,  act,  act  upon  your 
own  initiative.  In  this  matter  we  shall  give  no  ac 
counting  to  Germany." 

"  No,  because  what  I  do  must  be  done  secretly. 
It  will  not  matter  that  Germany  also  knows  and 
waits.  But  this  is  true;  if  we  do  not  circumvent 
him,  she  will  make  use  of  whatever  he  does." 

"  It  has  its  whimsical  side.  Here  is  a  man  who 
may  some  day  blow  up  France,  and  yet  we  can  put 
no  hand  on  him  till  he  throws  the  bomb." 

"  But  there  is  always  time  to  stop  the  flight  of 
the  bomb.  That  shall  be  my  concern;  that  is,  if 
monsieur  is  not  becoming  discouraged  and  desires 
me  to  occupy  myself  with  other  things.  I  repeat : 
I  have  rheumatism,  I  apprehend  the  damp.  He  will 
go  to  America." 

"Ah!  It  would  be  a  very  good  plan  if  he  re 
mained  there." 

The  little  man  did  not  reply. 

"  But  you  say  in  your  reports  that  you  have  seen 
him  going  about  with  some  of  the  Orleanists. 
.What  is  your  inference  there?  " 

"  I  have  not  vet  formed  one.     It  is  a  bit  of  a  rid- 


THE  BUTTERFLY  MAN  27 

die  there,  for  the  crow  and  the  eagle  do  not  fly  to 
gether." 

"  Well,  follow  him  to  America." 

"  Thanks.  The  pay  is  good  and  the  work  is 
congenial."  The  tone  of  the  little  man  was  softly 
given  to  irony. 

Gray-haired,  rosy-cheeked,  a  face  smooth  as  a 
boy's,  twinkling  eyes  behind  spectacles,  he  was  one 
of  the  most  astute,  learned,  and  patient  of  the 
French  secret  police.  And  he  did  not  care  the  flip 
of  his  strong  brown  fingers  for  the  methods  of 
Vidocq  or  Lecoq.  His  only  disguise  was  that  not 
one  of  the  criminal  police  of  the  world  knew  him  or 
had  ever  heard  of  him ;  and  save  his  chief  and  three 
ministers  of  war — for  French  cabinets  are  given 
to  change  —  his  own  immediate  friends  knew  him 
as  a  butterfly  hunter,  a  searcher  for  beetles  and 
scarabs,  who,  indeed,  was  one  of  the  first  authorities 
in  France  on  the  subjects:  Anatole  Ferraud,  who 
went  about,  hither  and  thither,  with  a  little  red  but 
ton  in  his  buttonhole  and  a  tongue  facile  in  a  dozen 
languages. 

"  Very  well,  monsieur.  I  trust  that  in  the  near 
future  I  may  bring  you  good  news." 


28  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  He  will  become  nothing  or  the  most  desperate 
man  in  Europe." 

"  Admitted." 

"  He  is  a  scholar,  too." 

"  All  the  more  interesting." 

"  As  a  student  in  Munich  he  has  fought  his  three 
duels.  He  has  been  a  war  correspondent  under  fire. 
He  is  a  great  fencer,  a  fine  shot,  a  daring  rider." 

"  And  penniless.  [What  a  country  they  have  over 
there  beyond  the  Rhine!  He  would  never  have 
troubled  his  head  about  it,  had  they  not  harried  him. 
To  stir  up  France,  to  wound  her  if  possible!  He 
will  be  a  man  of  great  courage  and  resource,"  said 
the  secret  agent,  drawing  the  palms  of  his  hands  to 
gether. 

"  In  the  end,  then,  Germany  will  offer  him 
money?  " 

"  That  is  the  possible  outlook." 

"  But,  suppose  he  went  to  work  on  his  own  re 
sponsibility?  " 

"  In  that  case  one  would  be  justified  in  locking 
him  up  as  a  madman.  Do  you  know  anything  about 
Alpine  butterflies  ?  " 

"  Very  little,"  confessed  the  minister. 


29 

"  There  is  often  great  danger  in  getting  at  them; 
but  the  pleasure  is  commensurate." 

"  Are  there  not  rare  butterflies  in  the  Amazonian 
swamps  ?  "  cynically. 

"  Ah,  but  this  man  has  good  blood  in  him ;  and 
if  he  flies  at  all  he  will  fly  high.  Think  of  this 
man  fifty  years  ago;  what  a  possibility  he  would 
have  been!  But  it  is  out  of  fashion  to-day.  Well, 
monsieur,  I  must  be  off.  There  is  an  old  manu 
script  at  the  Bibliotheque  I  wish  to  inspect." 

"  Concerning  this  matter  ?  " 

"Butterflies,"  softly;  "or,  I  should  say,  chrysa 
lides." 

The  subtle  inference  passed  by  the  minister. 
There  were  many  other  things  to-ing  and  fro-ing  in 
the  busy  corridors  of  his  brain.  "  I  shall  hear  from 
you  frequently  ?  " 

"  As  often  as  the  situation  requires.  By  the  way, 
I  have  an  idea.  When  I  cable  you  the  word  but 
terfly,  prepare  yourself  accordingly.  It  will  mean 
that  the  bomb  is  ready." 

"  Good  luck  attend  you,  my  savant,"  said  the 
minister,  with  a  friendliness  which  was  deep  and 
genuine.  He  had  known  Monsieur  Ferraud  in 


30  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

other  days.  "  And,  above  all,  take  care  of  your 
self." 

"  Trust  me,  Count."  And  the  secret  agent  de 
parted,  to  appear  again  in  these  chambers  only  when 
his  work  was  done. 

"  A  strange  man,"  mused  the  minister  when  he 
was  alone.  "  A  still  stranger  business  for  a  gen 
uine  scholar.  Is  he  really  poor?  Does  he  do  this 
work  to  afford  him  ease  and  time  for  his  studies? 
Or,  better  still,  does  he  hide  a  great  and  singular 
patriotism  under  butterfly  wings?  Patriotism? 
More  and  more  it  becomes  self-interest.  It  is  only 
when  a  foreign  mob  starts  to  tear  down  your  house, 
that  you  become  a  patriot." 

Now  the  subject  of  these  desultory  musings  went 
directly  to  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale.  The  study 
he  pursued  was  of  deep  interest  to  him;  it  con 
cerned  a  butterfly  of  vast  proportions  and  kaleido 
scopic  in  color,  long  ago  pinned  away  and  labeled 
among  others  of  lesser  brilliancy.  It  had  cast  a 
fine  shadow  in  its  brief  flight.  But  the  species  was 
now  extinct,  at  least  so  the  historian  of  this  par 
ticular  butterfly  declared.  Hybrid?  Such  a  con 
tingency  was  always  possible. 


THE  BUTTERFLY  MAN  31 

"  Suppose  it  does  exist,  as  I  and  a  few  others 
very  well  know  it  does;  what  a  fine  joke  it  would 
be  to  see  it  fly  into  Paris!  But,  no.  Idle  dream! 
Still,  I  shall  wait  and  watch.  And  now,  suppose 
we  pay  a  visit  to  Berlin  and  use  blunt  facts  in  place 
of  diplomacy?  It  will  surprise  them." 

Each  German  chancellor  has  become,  in  turn,  the 
repository  of  such  political  secrets  as  fell  under  the 
eyes  of  his  predecessor;  and  the  chancellor  who 
walked  up  and  down  before  Monsieur  Ferraud, 
possessed  several  which  did  not  rest  heavily  upon  his 
soul  simply  because  he  was  incredulous,  or  affected 
that  he  was. 

"  The  thing  is  preposterous." 

"  As  your  excellency  has  already  declared." 

"  What  has  it  to  do  with  France?  " 

"  Much  or  little.  It  depends  upon  this  side  of  the 
Rhine." 

"  What  imagination !  But  for  your  credentials, 
Monsieur  Ferraud,  I  should  not  listen  to  you  one 
moment." 

"  I  have  seen  some  documents." 

"  Forgeries !  "  contemptuously. 


32  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  suavely.  "  They  are  in  every 
part  genuine.  They  are  his  own." 

The  chancellor  paused,  frowning.  "  Well,  even 
then?" 

Monsieur  Ferraud  shrugged. 

"  This  fellow,  who  was  forced  to  resign  from  the 
navy  because  of  his  tricks  at  cards,  why  I  doubt  if 
he  could  stir  up  a  brawl  in  a  tavern.  Really,  if 
there  was  a  word  of  truth  in  the  affair,  we  should 
have  acted  before  this.  It  is  all  idle  newspaper  talk 
that  Germany  wishes  war;  far  from  it.  Still,  we 
lose  no  point  to  fortify  ourselves  against  the  possi 
bility  of  it.  Some  one  has  been  telling  you  old- 
wives'  tales." 

"  Ten  thousand  marks,"  almost  inaudibly. 

"  What  was  that  you  said?  "  cried  the  chancellor, 
whirling  round  abruptly,  for  the  words  startled 
him. 

"  Pardon  me !  I  was  thinking  out  loud  about  a 
sum  of  money." 

"  Ah !  "  And  yet  the  chancellor  realized  that  the 
other  was  telling  him  as  plainly  as  he  dared  that  the 
German  government  had  offered  such  a  sum  to  for 
ward  the  very  intrigue  which  he  was  so  emphatically 


THE  BUTTERFLY  MAN  33 

denying.  "  Why  not  turn  the  matter  over  to  your 
own  ambassador  here  ?  " 

The  secret  agent  laughed.  "  Publicity  is  what 
neither  your  government  nor  mine  desires.  Thank 
you." 

"  I  am  sorry  not  to  be  of  some  service  to  you." 

"  I  can  readily  believe  that,  your  excellency,"  not 
to  be  outdone  in  the  matter  of  duplicity.  "  I  thank 
you  for  your  time." 

"  I  hadn't  the  least  idea  that  you  were  in  the  serv 
ice  ;  butterflies  and  diplomacy ! "  with  a  hearty 
laugh. 

"  It  is  only  temporary." 

"  Your  Alpine  Butterflies  compares  favorably 
with  The  Life  of  the  Bee." 

"  That  is  a  very  great  compliment!  " 

And  with  this  the  interview,  extraordinary  in  all 
ways,  came  to  an  end.  Neither  man  had  fooled  the 
other,  neither  had  made  any  mistake  in  his  logical 
deductions ;  and,  in  a  way,  both  were  satisfied.  The 
chancellor  resumed  his  more  definite  labors,  and  the 
secret  agent  hurried  away  to  the  nearest  telegraph 
office. 

"  So  I  am  to  stand  on  these  two  feet?  "  Monsieur 


34  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Ferraud  ruminated,  as  he  took  the  seat  by  the  win 
dow  in  the  second-class  carriage  for  Munich.  "  All 
the  finer  the  sport.  Ten  thousand  marks!  He 
forgot  himself  for  a  moment.  And  I  might  have 
gone  further  and  said  that  ninety  thousand  marks 
would  be  added  to  those  ten  thousand  if  the  bribe 
was  accepted  and  the  promise  fulfilled." 

Ah,  it  would  be  beautiful  to  untangle  this  snarl 
all  alone.  It  would  be  the  finest  chase  that  had  ever 
fallen  to  his  lot.  No  grain  of  sand,  however 
small,  should  escape  him.  There  were  fools  in 
Berlin  as  well  as  in  Paris;  and  he  knew  what  he 
knew.  "  Never  a  move  shall  he  make  that  I  shan't 
make  the  same;  and  in  one  thing  I  shall  move  first. 
Two  million  francs !  Handsome !  It  is  I  who  must 
find  this  treasure,  this  fulcrum  to  the  lever  which 
is  going  to  upheave  France.  There  will  be  no  diffi 
culty  then  in  pricking  the  pretty  bubble.  In  the 
meantime  we  shall  proceed  to  Munich  and  carefully 
inquire  into  the  affairs  of  the  grand  opera  singer, 
Hildegarde  von  Mitter." 

He  extracted  a  wallet  from  an  inner  pocket  and 
opened  it  across  his  knees.  It  was  full  of  butter 
flies. 


CHAPTER  III 

A    PLASTER   STATUETTE 

FITZGERALD'S  view  from  his  club  window 
afforded  the  same  impersonal  outlook  as 
from  a  window  in  a  car.  It  was  the  two  living  cur 
rents,  moving  in  opposite  directions,  each  making 
toward  a  similar  goal,  only  in  a  million  different 
ways,  that  absorbed  him.  Subconsciously  he  was 
always  counting,  counting,  now  by  fives,  now  by 
tens,  but  invariably  found  new  entertainment  ere  he 
reached  the  respectable  three  numerals  of  an  even 
hundred.  Sometimes  it  was  a  silk  hat  which  he 
followed  till  it  became  lost  up  the  Avenue;  and  as' 
often  as  not  he  would  single  out  a  waiting  cabman  . 
and  speculate  on  the  quality  of  his  fare;  and  other 
whimsies. 

That  this  was  such  and  such  a  woman,  or  that 
was  such  and  such  a  man  never  led  him  into  any  of 
that  gossip  so  common  among  club-men  who  are 

35 


36  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

out  of  touch  with  the  vital  things  in  life.  Even 
when  he  espied  a  friend  in  this  mysterious  flow  of 
souls,  there  was  only  a  transient  flash  of  recognition 
in  his  eyes.  When  he  wasn't  in  the  tennis-courts, 
or  the  billiard-  or  card-rooms,  he  was  generally  to 
be  found  in  this  corner.  He  had  seen  all  manner 
of  crowds,  armies  pursuing  and  retreating,  vast  con 
cords  in  public  squares,  at  coronations,  at  catastro 
phes,  at  play,  and  he  never  lost  interest  in  watching 
them;  they  were  the  great  expressions  of  humanity. 
This  is  perhaps  the  reason  why  his  articles  were  al 
ways  so  rich  in  color.  No  two  crowds  were  ever 
alike  to  him,  consequently  he  never  was  at  loss  for 
a  fresh  description. 

To-day  the  Italian  vender  of  plaster  statuettes 
caught  his  eye.  For  an  hour  now  the  poor  wretch 
hadn't  even  drawn  the  attention  of  one  of  the  thou 
sands  passing.  Fitzgerald  felt  sorry  for  him,  and 
once  the  desire  came  to  go  over  and  buy  out  the 
Neapolitan;  but  he  was  too  comfortable  where  he 
was,  and  beyond  that  he  was  expecting  a  friend. 

Fitzgerald  was  thirty,  with  a  clean-shaven,  lean, 
and  eager  face,  russet  in  tone,  well  offset  by  the  fine 
blue  eyes  which  had  the  faculty  of  seeing  little  and 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  37 

big  things  at  the  same  time.  He  had  dissipated  in 
a  trifling  fashion,  but  the  healthy,  active  life  he 
lived  in  the  open  more  than  counteracted  the  effects. 
A  lonely  orphan,  possessing  a  lively  imagination, 
is  seldom  free  from  some  vice  or  other.  There  had 
never  been,  however,  what  the  world  is  pleased  to 
term  entanglements.  His  guardian  angel  gave  him 
a  light  step  whenever  there  was  any  social  thin  ice. 
Oh,  he  had  some  relatives;  but  as  they  were  neither 
very  rich  nor  very  poor,  they  seldom  annoyed  one 
another.  He  was,  then,  a  free  lance  in  all  the 
abused  word  implies;  and  he  lived  as  he  pleased, 
spending  his  earnings  freely  and  often  carelessly, 
knowing  that  the  little  his  father  had  left  him 
would  keep  a  moderately  hungry  wolf  from  the 
door.  He  had  been  born  to  a  golden  spoon,  but  the 
food  from  the  pewter  one  he  now  used  tasted  just 
as  good. 

"  So  here  you  are !  I've  been  in  the  billiard-room, 
and  the  card-room,  and  the  bar-room." 

"  Talking  of  bar-rooms !  "  Fitzgerald  reached  for 
the  button.  "  Sit  down,  Hewitt,  old  boy.  Glad  to 
see  you.  Now,  I'll  tell  you  right  off  the  bat,  noth 
ing  will  persuade  me.  For  years  I've  been  jumping 


38  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

to  the  four  points  of  the  compass  at  the  beck  of  your 
old  magazine  and  syndicate.  I'm  going  to  settle 
down  and  write  a  novel." 

"  Piffle !  "  growled  the  editor,  dropping  his  lanky 
form  into  a  chair.  "  Thank  goodness,  they  haven't 
swivel  chairs  in  the  club.  I've  been  whirling  round 
in  one  all  day  —  a  long,  tall  Scotch,  please  —  but  a 
novel !  I  say,  piffle !  " 

"  Piffle  it  may  be,  but  I'm  going  to  have  a  whack 
at  it.  If  I  ever  do  another  article  it  will  be  as  a 
millionaire's  private  secretary.  I  should  like  to 
study  his  methods  for  saving  his  money.  What  is 
it  this  time  ?  " 

"  A  dash  to  the  North  Pole." 

"  Never  again  north  of  Berlin  or  south  of  Assuan 
for  mine.  No." 

"  Come,  Fitz ;  a  great  chance." 

"  When  you  sent  me  to  Manila  I  explored  hell  for 
you,  but  I've  cooled  off  considerably  since  then. 
No  ice  for  mine,  except  in  silver  buckets." 

"You've  made  a  pretty  good  thing  out  of  us; 
something  like  five  thousand  a  year  and  your  ex 
penses;  and  with  the  credentials  we've  always  given 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  39 

you,  you  have  been  able  to  see  the  world  as  few  men 
see  it." 

"  That's  just  the  trouble.     You've  spoiled  me." 

"  Well,  you  may  take  my  word  for  it,  you  won't 
have  the  patience  to  sit  down  at  home  here  and  write 
a  hundred  thousand  words  that  mean  anything. 
There's  no  reason  why  you  can't  do  my  work  and 
write  novels  on  the  side.  We  both  know  a  dozen 
fellows  who  are  doing  it.  We've  got  to  have  this 
article,  and  you're  the  only  man  we  dare  trust  alone 
on  it,  if  it  will  flatter  you  any  to  know  it." 

"  Come,  pussy,  come !  " 

"  If  it's  a  question  of  more  money — " 

"  Perish  the  thought !  "  cried  Fitzgerald,  clasping 
his  knees  and  rocking  gently.  "  You  know  as  well 
as  I  do,  Hewitt,  that  it's  the  game  and  not  the  cash. 
I've  found  a  new  love,  my  boy." 

"Double  harness?"  with  real  anxiety.  Hewitt 
bit  his  scrubby  mustache.  When  a  special  cor 
respondent  married  that  was  the  end  of  him. 

"  There  you  go  again !  "  warned  the  recalcitrant. 
"If  you  don't  stop  eating  that  mustache  you'll  have 
stomach  trouble  that  no  Scotch  whisky  will  ever 


40  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

cure.  The  whole  thing  is  in  a  nutshell,"  a  sly 
humor  creeping  into  his  eyes.  "  I  am  tired  of  writ 
ing  ephemeral  things.  I  want  to  write  something 
that  will  last." 

"  Write  your  epitaph,  Jack,"  drawled  a  deep  voice 
from  the  reading  table.  "  That's  the  only  sure  way, 
and  even  that  is  no  good  if  your  marble  is  spongy." 

"  Oh,  Cathewe,  this  is  not  your  funeral,"  retorted 
the  editor. 

"  Perhaps  not.  All  the  same,  I'll  be  chief 
mourner  if  Jack  takes  up  novel  writing.  Critics 
don't  like  novels,  because  any  one  can  write  an 
average  story ;  but  it  takes  a  genius  to  turn  out  first- 
class  magazine  copy.  Anyhow,  art  becomes  less 
and  less  particular  every  day.  The  only  thing  that 
never  gains  or  loses  is  this  London  Times.  Some 
day  I'm  going  to  match  the  Congressional  Record 
and  the  Times  for  the  heavyweight  championship  of 
the  world,  with  seven  to  one  on  the  Record,  to 
weigh  in  at  the  ringside." 

"  You've  been  up  north,  Arthur,"  said  Fitzgerald. 
"  What's  your  advice?  " 

"  Don't  do  it.     You've  often  wondered  how  and 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  41 

where  I  lost  these  two  digits.  Up  there."  The 
Times  rattled,  and  Cathewe  became  absorbed  in 
the  budget. 

Arthur  Cathewe  was  a  tall,  loose-limbed  man, 
forty-two  or  three,  rather  handsome,  and  a  bit  shy 
with  most  folk.  Rarely  any  one  saw  him  outside 
the  club.  He  had  few  intimates,  but  to  these  he 
was  all  that  friendship  means,  kindly,  tender,  loyal, 
generous,  self-effacing.  And  Fitzgerald  loved  him 
best  of  all  men.  It  did  not  matter  that  there  were 
periods  when  they  became  separated  for  months  at 
a  time.  They  would  some  day  turn  up  together  in 
the  same  place.  "  Why,  hello,  Arthur !  "  "  Glad 
to  see  you,  Jack !  "  and  that  was  all  that  was  neces 
sary.  All  the  enthusiasm  was  down  deep  below. 
Cathewe  was  always  in  funds;  Fitzgerald  some 
times;  but  there  was  never  any  lending  or  borrow 
ing  between  them.  This  will  do  much  toward 
keeping  friendship  green.  The  elder  man  was  a 
great  hunter;  he  had  been  everywhere,  north  and 
south,  east  and  west.  He  never  fooled  away  his 
time  at  pigeons  and  traps ;  big  game,  where  the  bet 
ting  was  even,  where  the  animal  had  almost  the 


42  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

same  chance  as  the  man.  He  could  be  tolerably 
humorous  upon  occasions.  The  solemn  cast  to  his 
comely  face  predestined  him  for  this  talent. 

"  Well,  Fitz,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Hewitt,  give  me  a  chance.  I've  been  home  but 
a  week.  I'm  not  going  to  dash  to  the  Pole  without 
having  a  ripping  good  time  here  first.  Will  a 
month  do  ?  " 

"  Oh,  the  expedition  doesn't  leave  for  two  months 
yet.  But  we  must  sign  the  contract  a  month  be 
forehand." 

"  To-day  is  the  first  of  June ;  I  promise  to  tele 
graph  you  yes  or  no  this  day  month.  You  have  had 
me  over  in  Europe  eighteen  months.  I'm  tired  of 
trains,  and  boats,  and  mules.  I'm  going  fishing." 

"  Ah,  bass !  "  murmured  Cathewe  from  behind 
his  journal. 

"  By  the  way,  Hewitt,"  said  Fitzgerald,  "  have 
you  ever  heard  of  a  chap  called  Karl  Breitmann?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Hewitt.  "  Never  met  him  per 
sonally,  though." 

"  I  have,"  joined  in  Cathewe  quietly.  He  laid 
down  the  Times.  "  What  do  you  know  about 
him?" 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  43 

"  Met  him  in  Paris  last  year.  Met  him  once  be 
fore  in  Macedonia.  Dined  with  me  in  Paris. 
Amazing  lot  of  adventures.  Rather  down  on  his 
luck,  I  should  judge." 

"  Couple  of  scars  on  his  left  cheek  and  a  bit  of 
the  scalp  gone;  German  student  sort,  rather  good- 
looking,  fine  physique  ?  " 

"  That's  the  man." 

"  I  know  him,  but  not  very  well."  And  Cathewe 
fumbled  among  the  other  newspapers. 

"  Dine  with  me  to-night,"  urged  Hewitt. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what.  See  that  Italian  over  there 
with  the  statues  ?  I  am  going  to  buy  him  out ;  and 
if  I  don't  make  a  sale  in  half  an  hour,  I'll  sign  the 
the  dinner  checks." 

"Done!" 

"  I'll  take  half  of  that  bet,"  said  Cathewe,  rising. 
"  It  will  be  cheap." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  two  older  men  saw  Fitz 
gerald  hang  the  tray  from  his  shoulders  and  take 
his  position  on  the  corner. 

"  I  love  that  chap,  Hewitt ;  he  is  what  I  always 
wanted  to  be,  but  couldn't  be."  Cathewe  pulled  the 
drooping  ends  of  his  mustache.  "If  he  should 


44  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

write  a  novel,  I'm  afraid  for  your  sake  that  it  will 
be  a  good  one.  Keep  him  busy.  Novel  writing 
keeps  a  man  indoors.  But  don't  send  him  on  any 
damn  goose  chase  for  the  Pole." 

"Why  not?" 

"Well,  he  might  discover  it.  But,  honestly,  it's 
so  God-forsaken  and  cold  and  useless.  I  have 
hunted  musk-ox,  and  I  know  something  about  the 
place.  North  Poling,  as  I  call  it,  must  be  a  man's 
natural  bent;  otherwise  you  kill  the  best  that's  in 
him." 

"  Heaven  on  earth,  will  you  look !  A  policeman 
is  arguing  with  him."  Hewitt  shook  with  laughter. 

"  But  I  bought  him  out,"  protested  Fitzgerald. 
"  There's  no  law  to  prevent  me  selling  these." 

"  Oh,  I'm  wise.  We  want  no  horse-play  on  this 
corner;  no  joyful  college  stunts,"  roughly. 

Fitzgerald  saw  that  frankness  must  be  his  card, 
so  he  played  it.  "  Look  here,  do  you  see  those  two 
gentlemen  in  the  window  there  ?  " 

"The  club?" 

"  Yes.  I  made  a  wager  that  I  could  sell  one  of 
these  statues  in  half  an  hour.  If  you  force  me  off 
I'll  lose  a  dinner." 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  45 

"  Well,  I'll  make  a  bargain  with  you.  You  can 
stand  here  for  half  an  hour;  but  if  you  open  your 
mouth  to  a  woman,  I'll  run  you  in.  No  fooling; 
I'm  talking  straight.  I'm  going  to  see  what  your 
game  is." 

"  I  agree." 

So  the  policeman  turned  to  his  crossing  and  reas- 
sumed  his  authority  over  traffic,  all  the  while  never 
losing  sight  of  the  impromptu  vender. 

Many  pedestrians  paused.  To  see  a  well-dressed 
young  man  hawking  plaster  Venuses  was  no  ordi 
nary  sight.  They  knew  that  some  play  was  going 
on,  but,  with  that  inveterate  suspicion  of  the  city 
pedestrian,  none  of  them  stopped  to  speak  or  buy. 
Some  newsboys  gathered  round  and  offered  a  few 
suggestions.  Fitzgerald  gave  them  back  in  kind. 
No  woman  spoke,  but  there  wasn't  one  who  passed 
that  didn't  look  at  him  with  more  than  ordinary 
curiosity.  He  was  enjoying  it.  It  reminded  him 
of  the  man  who  offered  sovereigns  for  shillings,  and 
never  exchanged  a  coin. 

Once  he  turned  to  see  if  his  friends  were  still 
watching  him.  They  were,  two  among  many;  for 
the  exploit  had  gone  round,  and  there  were  other 


46  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

wagers  being  laid  on  the  result.  While  his  head 
was  turned,  and  his  grin  was  directed  at  the  club 
window,  a  handsome  young  woman  in  blue  came 
along.  She  paused,  touched  her  lips  with  her 
gloved  hand  meditatingly,  and  then  went  right 
about-face  swiftly.  Some  one  in  the  window 
motioned  frantically  to  the  vender,  but  he  did  not 
understand.  Ten  minutes  left  in  which  to  win  his 
bet.  He  hadn't  made  a  very  good  bargain.  Hm! 
The  young  woman  in  blue  was  stopping.  Her  ex 
quisite  face  was  perfectly  serious  as  her  eyes  ran 
over  the  collection  on  the  tray.  They  were  all  done 
execrably,  something  Fitzgerald  hadn't  noticed  be 
fore. 

"  How  much  are  these  apiece  ?  " 

"  Er  —  twenty-five  cents,  ma'am,"  he  stammered. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  he  hadn't  any  idea  what  the  cur 
rent  price  list  was. 

"  You  seem  very  well  dressed,"  doubtfully;  "  and 
you  do  not  look  hungry." 

"  I  am  doing  this  for  charity's  sake,"  finding  his 
wits.  The  policeman  hovered  near,  scowling.  He 
was  powerless,  since  the  young  woman  had  spoken 
first. 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  47 

"  Charity,"  in  a  half -articulated  voice,  as  if  the 
word  to  her  possessed  many  angles,  and  she  was 
endeavoring  to  find  the  proper  one  to  fit  the  moment. 
"  What  organization?  " 

A  blank  pause.  "  My  own,  ma'am,  of  which  I 
am  the  head."  There  was  no  levity  in  tone  or  ex 
pression. 

By  now  every  window  in  the  club  framed  a  dozen 
or  more  faces. 

"  I  will  take  this  Canova,  I  believe,"  she  finally 
decided,  opening  her  purse  and  producing  the  nec 
essary  silver.  "Of  course,  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
send  this?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  Sending  it  would  eat  up  all  the 
profits."  But,  with  ill-concealed  eagerness,  "If  you 
will  leave  your  address  I  can  send  as  many  as  you 
like." 

"  I  will  do  that." 

Incredible  as  it  seemed,  neither  face  lost  its  re 
pose  ;  he  dared  not  smile,  and  the  young  woman  did 
not  care  to.  There  was  something  familiar  to  his 
memory  in  the  oval  face,  but  this  was  no  time  for  a 
diligent  search. 

"  Hey,  miss,"  yelled  one  of  the  newsboys,  "  you're 


48  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

t'rowin'  your  money  away.  He's  a  fake;  he  ain't 
no  statoo  seller.  He's  doing  it  for  a  joke !  " 

Fitzgerald  lost  a  little  color,  that  was  all.  But 
his  customer  ignored  the  imputation.  She  took  out 
a  card  and  laid  it  on  the  tray,  and  without  further 
ado  went  serenely  on  her  way.  The  policeman 
stepped  toward  her  as  if  to  speak,  but  she  turned 
her  delicate  head  aside.  The  crowd  engulfed  her 
presently,  and  Fitzgerald  picked  up  the  card. 
There  was  neither  name  nor  definite  address  on  it. 
It  was  a  message,  hastily  written;  and  it  sent  a 
thrill  of  delight  and  speculation  to  his  impression 
able  heart.  Still  carrying  the  tray  before  him  he 
hastened  over  to  the  club,  where  there  was  some 
thing  of  an  ovation.  Instead  of  a  dinner  for  three 
it  became  one  for  a  dozen,  and  Fitzgerald  passed  the 
statuettes  round  as  souvenirs  of  the  most  unique 
bet  of  the  year.  There  were,  lively  times.  Toward 
midnight,  as  Fitzgerald  was  going  out  of  the  coat 
room,  Cathewe  spoke  to  him. 

"  What  was  her  name,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Hanged  if  I  know." 

"  She  dropped  a  card  on  your  tray." 

Fitzgerald   scrubbed   his   chin.     "  There   wasn't 


A  PLASTER  STATUETTE  49 

any  name  on  it.  There  was  an  address  and  some 
thing  more.  Now,  wait  a  moment,  Arthur;  this  is 
no  ordinary  affair.  I  would  not  show  it  to  any  one 
else.  Here,  read  it  yourself." 

"  Come  to  the  house  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  in  Dai- 
ton,  to-morrow  night  at  eight  o'clock.  But  do  not 
come  if  you  lack  courage." 

That  was  all.  Cathewe  ran  a  finger,  comb-fash 
ion,  through  his  mustache.  He  almost  smiled. 

".Where  the  deuce  is  Dalton?"  Fitzgerald  in 
quired. 

"  It  is  a  little  village  on  the  New  Jersey  coast ;  not 
more  than  forty  houses,  post-office,  hotel,  and  gen 
eral  store;  perhaps  an  hour  out  of  town." 

"  What  would  you  do  in  my  place  ?  It  may  be 
a  joke,  and  then  again  it  may  not.  She  knew  that 
I  was  a  rank  impostor." 

"  But  she  knew  that  a  man  must  have  a  certain 
kind  of  daredevil  courage  to  play  the  game  you 
played.  Well,  you  ask  me  what  I  should  do  in  your 
place.  I'd  go." 

"  I  shall.  It  will  double  discount  fishing.  And 
the  more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  certain  I  become 
that  she  and  I  have  met  somewhere.  By-by !  " 


50  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Cathewe  lingered  in  the  reading-room,  pondering. 
Here  was  a  twist  to  the  wager  he  was  rather  unpre 
pared  for;  and  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  he  was  far 
more  perplexed  than  Fitzgerald.  He  knew  the  girl, 
but  he  did  not  know  and  could  not  imagine  what 
purpose  she  had  in  aiding  Fitzgerald  to  win  his 
wager  or  luring  him  out  to  an  obscure  village  in  this 
detective-story  manner. 

"  Well,  I  shall  hear  all  about  it  from  her  father," 
he  concluded. 

And  all  in  good  time  he  did. 


CHAPTER  IV 

PIRATES   AND   PRIVATE   SECRETARIES 

IT  was  a  little  station  made  gloomy  by  a  single 
light.  Once  in  so  often  a  fast  train  stopped,  if 
properly  flagged.  Fitzgerald,  feeling  wholly  un- 
romantic,  now  that  he  had  arrived,  dropped  his 
hand-bag  on  the  damp  platform  and  took  his  bear 
ings.  It  was  after  sundown.  The  sea,  but  a  few 
yards  away,  was  a  murmuring,  heaving  blackness, 
save  where  here  and  there  a  wave  broke.  The  wind 
was  chill,  and  there  was  the  hint  of  a  storm  coming 
down  from  the  northeast. 

"  Any  hotel  in  this  place?  "  he  asked  of  the  ticket 
agent,  the  telegraph  operator,  and  the  baggageman, 
who  was  pushing  a  crate  of  vegetables  off  a  truck. 

"  Swan's  Hotel;  only  one." 

"  Do  people  sleep  and  eat  there?  " 

"  If  they  have  good  digestions." 

"  Much  obliged." 

51 


52  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Whisky's  no  good,  either." 

"  Thanks  again.  This  doesn't  look  much  like  a 
summer  resort." 

"  Nobody  ever  said  it  was.  I  beg  your  pardon, 
but  would  you  mind  taking  an  end  of  this  darned 
crate?" 

"  Not  at  all."  Fitzgerald  was  beginning  to  en 
joy  himself.  "  Where  do  you  want  it  ?  " 

"  In  here,"  indicating  the  baggage-room. 
"Thanks.  Now,  if  there's  anything  I  can  do  to 
help  you  in  return,  let  her  go." 

"  Is  there  a  house  hereabouts  called  the  top  o'  the 
hill?" 

"  Come  over  here,"  said  the  agent.  "  See  that 
hill  back  there,  quarter  of  a  mile  above  the  village; 
those  three  lights?  Well,  that's  it.  They  usually 
have  a  carriage  down  here  when  they're  expecting 
any  one." 

"Who  owns  it?" 

"  Old  Admiral  Kiliigrew.     Didn't  you  know  it?  " 

"Oh,  Admiral  Kiliigrew;  yes,  of  course.  I'm 
not  a  guest.  Just  going  up  there  on  business. 
Worth  about  ten  millions,  isn't  he?  " 

"  That  and  more.     There's  his  yacht  in  the  har- 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         53 

bor.  Oh,  he  could  burn  up  the  village,  pay  the  in 
surance,  and  not  even  knock  down  the  quality  of  his 
cigars.  He's  the  best  old  chap  out.  None  of  your 
red-faced,  yo-hoing,  growling  seadogs ;  just  a  kindly, 
generous  old  sailor,  with  only  one  bee  in  his  bon 
net." 

"What  sort  of  bee?" 

"  Pirates !  "  in  a  ghostly  whisper. 

"  Pirates?     Oh,  say,  now!  "  with  a  protest. 

"  Straight  as  a  die.  He's  got  the  finest  library  on 
piracy  in  the  world,  everything  from  The  Pirates  of 
Penzance  to  The  Life  of  Morgan." 

"  But  there's  no  pirate  afloat  these  days." 

"  Not  on  the  high  seas,  no.  It's  just  the  old 
man's  pastime.  Every  so  often,  he  coals  up  the 
yacht,  which  is  a  seventeen-knotter,  and  goes  off  to 
the  South  Seas,  hunting  for  treasures." 

"By  George!"  Fitzgerald  whistled  softly. 
"  Has  he  ever  found  any  ?  " 

"  Not  so  much  as  a  postage  stamp,  so  far  as  I 
know.  Money's  always  been  in  the  family,  and  his 
Wall  Street  friends  have  shown  him  how  to  double 
what  he  has,  from  time  to  time.  Just  for  the  sport 
of  the  thing  some  old  fellows  go  in  for  crockery, 


54  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

some  for  pictures,  and  some  for  horses.  The  ad 
miral  just  hunts  treasures.  Half-past  six;  you'll 
excuse  me.  There'll  be  some  train  despatches  in  a 
minute." 

Fitzgerald  gave  him  a  good  cigar,  took  up  his  bag, 
and  started  off  for  the  main  street;  and  once  there 
he  remembered  with  chagrin  that  he  had  not  asked 
the  agent  the  most  important  thing  of  all :  Had  the 
admiral  a  daughter?  Well,  at  eight  o'clock  he 
would  learn  all  about  that.  Pirates!  It  would  be 
as  good  as  a  play.  But  where  did  he  come  in? 
And  why  was  courage  necessary?  His  interest 
found  new  life. 

Swan's  Hotel  was  one  of  those  nondescript  build 
ings  of  wood  which  are  not  worth  more  than  a 
three-line  paragraph  even  when  they  burn  down. 
It  was  smelly.  The  kitchen  joined  the  dining-room, 
and  the  dining-room  the  office,  which  was  half  a 
bar-room,  with  a  few  boxes  of  sawdust  mathemat 
ically  arranged  along  the  walls.  There  were  many 
like  it  up  and  down  the  coast.  There  were  pictures 
on  the  walls  of  terrible  wrecks  at  sea,  naval  battles, 
and  a  race  horse  or  two. 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         55 

The  landlord  himself  lifted  Fitzgerald's  bag  to 
the  counter. 

"  A  room  for  the  night  and  supper,  right  away." 

"  Here,  Jimmy,"  called  the  landlord  to  a  growing, 
lumbering  boy,  "  take  this  satchel  up  to  number 
five." 

The  boy  went  his  way,  eying  the  labels  respect 
fully  and  with  some  awe.  This  was  the  third  of 
its  kind  he  had  ported  up-stairs  in  the  past  twenty- 
four  hours. 

Fitzgerald  cast  an  idle  glance  at  the  loungers. 
There  were  half  a  dozen  of  them,  some  of  them 
playing  cards  and  some  displaying  talent  on  a  pool 
table,  badly  worn  and  beer-stained.  There  was 
nothing  distinctive  about  any  of  them,  excepting  the 
little  man  who  was  reading  an  evening  paper,  and 
the  only  distinctive  thing  about  him  was  a  pair  of 
bright  eyes.  Behind  their  gold-rimmed  spectacles 
they  did  not  waver  under  Fitzgerald's  scrutiny;  so 
the  latter  dismissed  the  room  and  its  company  from 
his  mind  and  proceeded  into  dinner.  As  he  was 
late,  he  dined  alone  on  mildly  warm  chicken,  greasy 
potatoes,  and  muddy  coffee.  He  was  used  often  to 


56  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

worse  fare  than  this,  and  no  complaint  was  even 
thought  of.  After  he  had  changed  his  linen  he  took 
the  road  to  the  house  at  the  top  of  the  hill.  Now, 
then,  what  sort  of  an  affair  was  this  going  to  be, 
such  as  would  bend  a  girl  of  her  bearing  to  speak 
to  him  on  the  street  ?  Moreover,  at  a  moment  when 
he  was  playing  a  grown-up  child's  game  ?  She  had 
known  that  he  was  prevaricating  when  he  had  stated 
that  he  represented  a  charitable  organization;  and 
he  knew  that  she  knew  he  knew  it.  What,  then? 
It  could  not  be  a  joke ;  women  never  rise  to  such  ex 
travagant  heights.  Pirates  and  treasures;  he 
wouldn't  have  been  surprised  at  all  had  Old  Long 
John  Silver  hobbled  out  from  behind  any  one  of 
those  vine-grown  fences,  and  demanded  his  purse. 

The  street  was  dim,  and  more  than  once  he 
stumbled  over  a  loose  board  in  the  wooden  walk. 
If  the  admiral  had  been  the  right  kind  of  philan 
thropist  he  would  have  furnished  stone.  But  then, 
it  was  one  thing  to  give  a  country  town  something 
and  another  to  force  the  town  council  into  accept 
ing  it.  The  lamp-posts,  also  of  wood,  stood  irregu 
larly  apart,  often  less  than  a  hundred  feet,  and 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         57 

sometimes  more,  lighting  nothing  but  their  im 
mediate  vicinity.  Fitzgerald  could  see  the  lamps 
plainly,  but  could  separate  none  of  the  objects  round 
or  beneath.  That  is  why  he  did  not  see  the  face  of 
the  man  who  passed  him  in  a  hurry.  He  never  for 
got  a  face,  if  it  were  a  man's;  his  only  difficulty  was 
in  placing  it  at  once.  Up  to  this  time  one  woman 
resembled  another;  feminine  faces  made  no  particu 
lar  impression  on  his  memory.  He  would  have  re 
membered  the  face  of  the  man  who  had  just  passed, 
for  the  very  fact  that  he  had  thought  of  it  often. 
The  man  had  come  into  the  dim  radiance  of  the  far 
light,  then  had  melted  into  the  blackness  of  the  night 
again,  leaving  as  a  sign  of  his  presence  the  creak  of 
his  shoes  and  the  aroma  of  a  cigarette. 

Fitzgerald  tramped  on  cheerfully.  It  was  not 
an  unpleasant  climb,  only  dark.  The  millionaire's 
home  seemed  to  grow  up  out  of  a  fine  park.  There 
was  a  great  iron  fence  inclosing  the  grounds,  and 
the  lights  on  top  of  the  gates  set  the  dull  red  trunks 
of  the  pines  a-glowing.  There  were  no  lights  shin 
ing  in  the  windows  of  the  pretty  lodge.  Still,  the 
pedestrians'  gate  was  ajar.  He  passed  in,  fully 


58  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

expecting  to  be  greeted  by  the  growl  of  a  dog.  In 
stead,  he  heard  mysterious  footsteps  on  the  gravel. 
He  listened.  Some  one  was  running. 

"Hello,  there!"  he  called. 

No  answer.  The  sound  ceased.  The  runner 
had  evidently  taken  to  the  silent  going  of  the  turf. 
Fitzgerald  came  to  a  stand.  Should  he  go  on  or 
return  to  the  hotel  ?  Whoever  was  running  had  no 
right  here.  Fitzgerald  rarely  carried  arms,  at  least 
in  civilized  countries;  a  stout  cane  was  the  best 
weapon  for  general  purposes.  He  swung  this 
lightly. 

"  I  am  going  on.     I  should  like  to  see  the  library." 

He  was  not  overfond  of  unknown  dangers  in  the 
night;  but  he  possessed  a  keen  ear  and  a  sharp  pair 
of  eyes,  being  a  good  hunter.  A  poacher,  possibly. 
At  any  rate,  he  determined  to  go  forward  and  ring 
the  bell. 

Both  the  park  and  the  house  were  old.  Some  of 
those  well-trimmed  pines  had  scored  easily  a  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years,  and  the  oak,  standing  before  the 
house  and  dividing  the  view  into  halves,  was  older 
still.  No  iron  deer  or  marble  lion  marred  the  lawn 
which  he  was  now  traversing;  a  sign  of  good  taste. 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         59 

Gardeners  had  been  at  work  here,  men  who  knew 
their  business  thoroughly.  He  breathed  the  odor 
of  trampled  pine  needles  mingled  with  the  harsher 
essence  of  the  sea.  It  was  tonic. 

In  summer  the  place  would  be  beautiful.  The 
house  itself  was  built  on  severe  and  simple  lines. 
It  was  quite  apparent  that  in  no  time  of  its  history 
had  it  been  left  to  run  down.  The  hall  and  lower 
left  wing  were  lighted,  but  the  inner  blinds  and  cur 
tains  were  drawn.  He  did  not  waste  any  time.  It 
was  exactly  eight  o'clock  when  he  stepped  up  to  the 
door  and  pulled  the  ancient  wire  bell.  At  once  he 
saw  signs  of  life.  The  broad  door  opened,  and  an 
English  butler,  having  scrutinized  his  face,  silently 
motioned  him  to  be  seated.  The  young  man  in 
search  of  an  adventure  selected  the  far  end  of  the 
hall  seat  and  dandled  his  hat.  An  English  butler 
was  a  good  beginning.  Perhaps  three  minutes 
passed,  then  the  door  to  the  library  opened  and  a 
young  woman  came  out.  Fitzgerald  stood  up. 
Yes,  it  was  she. 

"  So  you  have  come  ? "  There  was  welcome 
neither  in  her  tone  nor  face,  nor  was  there  the  sug 
gestion  of  any  other  sentiment. 


60  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Yes.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  gave  you  my  nnme, 
Miss  Killigrew."  He  was  secretly  confused  over 
this  enigmatical  reception. 

She  nodded.  She  had  been  certain  that,  did  he 
come  at  all,  he  would  come  in  the  knowledge  of  who 
she  was. 

"  I  am  John  Fitzgerald,"  he  said. 

She  thought  for  a  space.  "  Are  you  the  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  who  wrote  the  long  article  recently  on 
the  piracy  in  the  Chinese  Seas  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  full  of  wonder. 

Interest  began  to  stir  her  face.  "  It  turns  out, 
then,  rather  better  than  I  expected.  I  can  see  that 
you  are  puzzled.  I  picked  you  out  of  many  yester 
day,  on  impulse,  because  you  had  the  sang-froid 
necessary  to  carry  out  your  jest  to  the  end." 

"  I  am  glad  that  I  am  not  here  under  false  colors. 
What  I  did  yesterday  was,  as  you  say,  a  jest.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  are  you  not  playing  me  one  in 
kind?  I  have  much  curiosity." 

"  I  shall  proceed  to  allay  it,  somewhat.  This  will 
be  no  jest.  Did  you  come  armed  ?  " 

"  Oh,  indeed,  no !  "  smiling. 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         61 

She  rather  liked  that.  "  I  was  wondering  if  you 
did  not  believe  this  to  be  some  silly  intrigue." 

"  I  gave  thought  to  but  two  things :  that  you  were 
jesting,  or  that  you  were  in  need  of  a  gentleman 
as  well  as  a  man  of  courage.  Tell  me,  what  is  the 
danger,  and  why  do  you  ask  me  if  I  am  armed?  " 
It  occurred  to  him  that  her  own  charm  and  beauty 
might  be  the  greatest  danger  he  could  possibly  face. 
More  and  more  grew  the  certainty  that  he  had  seen 
her  somewhere  in  the  past. 

"  Ah,  if  I  only  knew  what  the  danger  was.  But 
that  it  exists  I  am  positive.  Within  the  past  two 
weeks,  on  odd  nights,  there  have  been  strange  noises 
here  and  there  about  the  house,  especially  in  the 
chimney.  My  father,  being  slightly  deaf,  believes 
that  these  sounds  are  wholly  imaginative  on  my  part. 
This  is  the  first  spring  in  years  we  have  resided 
here.  It  is  really  our  summer  home.  I  am  not 
more  than  normally  timorous.  Some  one  we  do  not 
know  enters  the  house  at  will.  How  or  why  I  can't 
unravel.  Nothing  has  ever  disappeared,  either 
money,  jewels,  or  silver,  though  I  have  laid  many 
traps.  There  is  the  huge  fireplace  in  the  library, 


62  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

and  my  room  is  above.  I  have  heard  a  tapping,  like 
some  one  hammering  gently  on  stone.  I  have  ex 
amined  the  bricks  and  so  has  my  father,  but  neither 
of  us  has  discovered  anything.  Three  days  ago  I 
placed  flour  thinly  on  the  flagstone  before  the  fire 
place.  There  were  footprints  in  the  morning  —  of 
rubber  shoes.  When  I  called  in  my  father,  the 
maid  had  unfortunately  cleaned  the  stone  without 
observing  anything.  So  my  father  still  holds  that  I 
am  subject  to  dreams.  His  secretary,  whom  he  had 
for  three  years,  has  left  him.  The  butler's  and  serv 
ants'  quarters  are  in  the  rear  of  the  other  wing. 
They  have  never  been  disturbed." 

"  I  am  not  a  detective,  Miss  Killigrew,"  he  re 
marked,  as  she  paused. 

"  No,  but  you  seem  to  be  a  man  of  invention  and 
of  good  spirit.  Will  you  help  me?  " 

"  In  whatever  way  I  can."  His  opinion  at  that 
moment  perhaps  agreed  with  that  of  her  father. 
Still,  a  test  could  be  of  no  harm.  She  was  a  charm 
ing  young  woman,  and  he  was  assured  that  beneath 
this  present  concern  there  was  a  lively,  humorous 
disposition.  He  had  a  month  for  idleness,  and  why 
not  play  detective  for  a  change?  Then  he  recalled 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         63 

the  trespasser  in  the  park.  By  George,  she  might 
be  right! 

"  Come,  then,  and  I  will  present  you  to  my  father. 
His  deafness  is  not  so  bad  that  one  has  to  speak 
loudly.  To  speak  distinctly  will  be  simplest." 

She  thereupon  conducted  him  into  the  library. 
His  quick  glance,  thrown  here  and  there  absorb 
ingly,  convinced  him  that  there  were  at  least  five 
thousand  volumes  in  the  cases,  a  magnificent  private 
collection,  considering  that  the  owner  was  not  a 
lawyer,  and  that  these  books  were  not  dry  and  musty 
precedents  from  the  courts  of  appeals  and  supreme. 
He  was  glad  to  see  that  some  of  his  old  friends  were 
here,  too,  and  that  the  shelves  were  not  wholly  given 
over  to  piracy.  What  a  hobby  to  follow!  What 
adventures  all  within  thirty  square  feet!  And  a 
shiver  passed  over  his  spine  as  he  saw  several  tat 
tered  black  flags  hanging  from  tlje  walls;  the  real 
articles,  too,  now  faded  to  a  rusty  brown.  Over 
what  smart  and  lively  heeled  brigs  had  they  floated, 
these  sinister  jolly-rogers  ?  For  in  a  room  like 
this  they  could  not  be  other  than  genuine.  All  his 
journalistic  craving  for  stories  awakened. 

Behind  a  broad,   flat,   mahogany  desk,   with  a 


64  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

green-shaded  student  lamp  at  his  elbow,  sat  a  bright- 
cheeked,  white-haired  man,  writing.  Fitzgerald  in 
stantly  recognized  him.  Abruptly  his  gaze  returned 
to  the  girl.  Yes,  now  he  knew.  It  was  stupid  of 
him  not  to  have  remembered  at  once.  Why,  it  was 
she  who  had  given  the  bunch  of  violets  that  day  to 
the  old  veteran  in  Napoleon's  tomb.  To  have  re 
membered  the  father  and  to  have  forgotten  the 
daughter ! 

"  I  was  wondering  where  I  had  seen  you,"  he  said 
lowly. 

"Where  was  that?" 

"  In  Napoleon's  tomb,  nearly  a  year  ago.  You 
gave  an  old  French  soldier  a  bouquet  of  violets.  I 
was  there." 

"  Were  you?  "  As  a  matter  of  fact  his  face  was 
absolutely  new  to  her.  "  I  am  not  very  good  at  re 
calling  faces.  And  in  traveling  one  sees  so  many." 

"  That  is  true."  Queer  sort  of  girl,  not  to  show 
just  a  little  more  interest.  The  moment  was  not 
ordinary  by  any  means.  He  was  disappointed. 

"  Father !  "  she  called,  in  a  clear,  sweet  voice,  for 
the  admiral  had  not  heard  them  enter. 

At  the  call  he  raised  his  head  and  took  off  his 


PIRATES  AND  SECRETARIES         65 

Mandarin  spectacles.  Like  all  sailors,  he  never 
had  any  trouble  in  seeing  distances  clearly ;  the  diffi 
culty  lay  in  books,  letters,  and  small  type. 

".What  is  it,  Laura?" 

"  This  is  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  the  new  secretary,"  she 
answered  blandly. 

"  Aha !  Bring  a  chair  over  and  sit  down.  What 
did  you  say  the  name  is,  Laura  ?  " 

"  Fitzgerald." 

"  Sit  down,  Mr.  Fitzgerald,"  repeated  the  admiral 
cordially. 

Fitzgerald  desired  but  one  thing;  the  privilege  of 
laughter ! 


CHAPTER  V 

NO   FALSE   PRETENSES 

A  PRIVATE  secretary,  and  only  one  way  out! 
If  the  girl  had  been  kind  enough  to  stand  her 
ground  with  him  he  would  not  have  cared  so  much. 
But  there  she  was  vanishing  beyond  the  door. 
There  was  a  suggestion  of  feline  cruelty  in  thus 
abandoning  him.  He  dared  not  call  her  back. 
What  the  devil  should  he  say  to  the  admiral  ?  There 
was  one  thing  he  knew  absolutely  nothing  about,  and 
this  was  the  duties  of  a  private  secretary  to  a  retired 
admiral  who  had  riches,  a  yacht,  a  hobby,  and  a 
beautiful,  though  impulsive  daughter.  His  thought 
became  irrelevant,  as  is  frequent  when  one  faces  a 
crisis,  humorous  or  tragic;  here  indeed  was  the 
coveted  opportunity  to  study  at  close  range  the 
habits  of  a  man  who  spent  less  than  his  income. 

"  Come,  come ;  draw  up  your  chair,  Mr.  Fitzger 
ald." 

66 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  67 

"  I  beg  your  pardon ;  I  —  that  is*  I  was  looking 
at  those  flags,  sir,"  stuttered  the  self-made  victim 
of  circumstances. 

"Oh,  those?  Good  examples  of  their  kind; 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Picked  them 
up  one  cruise  in  the  Indies.  That  faded  one  be 
longed  to  Morgan,  the  bloodthirsty  ruffian.  I've 
always  regretted  that  I  wasn't  born  a  hundred  years 
ago.  Think  of  bottling  them  up  in  a  shallow  chan 
nel  and  raking  'em  fore  and  aft !  "  With  a  bang  of 
his  fist  on  the  desk,  setting  the  ink-wells  rattling 
like  old  bones,  "  That  would  have  been  sport ! " 

The  keen,  blue,  sailor's  eye  seemed  to  bore  right 
through  Fitzgerald,  who  thought  the  best  thing  he 
could  do  was  to  sit  down  at  once,  which  he  did. 
The  ticket  agent  had  said  that  the  admiral  was  of  a 
quiet  pattern,  but  this  start  wasn't  much  like  it. 
The  fire  in  the  blue  eyes  suddenly  gave  way  to  a 
twinkle,  and  the  old  man  laughed. 

"  Did  I  frighten  you,  Mr.  Fitzgerald  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly." 

"  .Well,  every  secretary  I've  had  has  expected  to 
see  a  red-nosed,  swearing,  peg-legged  sailor;  so  I 


68  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

thought  I'd  soften  the  blow  for  you.  Don't  worry. 
Sailor?" 

"  Not  in  the  technical  sense,"  answered  Fitzger 
ald,  warming.  "  I  know  a  stanchion  from  an 
anchor  and  a  rope  from  a  smoke-stack.  But  as  for 
travel,  I  believe  that  I  have  crossed  all  the  high  and 
middle  seas." 

"  Sounds  good.  Australia,  East  Indies,  China, 
the  Antilles,  Gulf,  and  the  South  Atlantic?  " 

"Yes;  round  the  Horn,  too,  and  East  Africa." 
Fitzgerald  remembered  his  instructions  and  spoke 

m 

clearly. 

"Well,  well;  you  are  a  find.  In  what  capacity 
have  you  taken  these  voyages  ?  " 

Here  was  the  young  man's  opportunity.  This 
was  a  likeable  old  sea-dog,  and  he  determined  not 
to  impose  upon  him  another  moment.  Some  men, 
for  the  sake  of  the  adventure,  would  have  left  the 
truth  to  be  found  out  later,  to  the  disillusion  of  all 
concerned.  The  abrupt  manner  in  which  Miss  Killi- 
grew  had  abandoned  him  merited  some  revenge. 

"  Admiral,  I'm  afraid  there  has  been  a  mistake, 
and  before  we  go  any  further  I'll  be  glad  to  explain. 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  69 

I'm  not  a  private  secretary  and  never  have  been  one. 
I  should  be  less  familiar  with  the  work  than  a 
Chinaman.  I  am  a  special  writer  for  the  maga 
zines,  and  have  been  at  odd  times  a  war  correspond 
ent."  And  then  he  went  on  to  describe  the  little 
comedy  of  the  statuettes,  and  it  was  not  without 
some  charm  in  the  telling. 

Plainly  the  admiral  was  nonplussed.  That  girl; 
that  minx,  with  her  innocent  eyes  and  placid  face! 
He  got  up,  and  Fitzgerald  awaited  the  explosion. 
His  expectancy  missed  fire.  The  admiral  exploded, 
but  with  laughter. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  and  I  beg  it  again 
on  my  daughter's  behalf.  What  would  you  do  in 
my  place?  " 

"  Show  me  the  door  at  once  and  have  done  with 
it." 

"I'm  hanged  if  I  do!  You  shall  have  a  toddy 
for  your  pains,  and,  by  cracky,  Laura  shall  mix  it." 
He  pushed  the  butler's  bell.  "Tell  Miss  Laura 
that  I  wish  to  see  her  at  once." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

She   appeared   shortly.     If   Fitzgerald   admired 


70  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

her  Beauty  he  yet  more  admired  her  perfect  poise 
and  unconcern.  Many  another  woman  would  have 
evinced  some  embarrassment.  Not  she. 

"Laura,  what's  the  meaning  of  this  hoax?"  the 
admiral  demanded  sternly.  "  Mr.  Fitzgerald  tells 
me  that  he  had  no  idea  you  were  hiring  him  as  my 
secretary." 

"  I  am  sure  he  hadn't  the  slightest."  The  look 
she  sent  Fitzgerald  was  full  of  approval.  "  He 
hadn't  any  idea  at  all  save  that  I  asked  him  to  come 
here  at  eight  this  evening.  And  his  confession 
proves  that  I  haven't  made  any  mistake." 

"  But  what  in  thunder  — " 

"Father!" 

"  My  dear,  give  me  credit  for  resisting  the  desire 
to  make  the  term  stronger.  Mr.  Fitzgerald's  joke, 
I  take  it,  bothered  no  one.  Yours  has  put  him  in  a 
peculiar  embarrassment.  What  does  it  mean? 
You  went  to  the  city  to  get  me  a  first-class  secre 
tary." 

"  Mr.  Fitzgerald  has  the  making  of  one,  I  be 
lieve." 

"  But  on  your  word  I  sent  a  capable  man  away 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  71 

half  an  hour  gone.  He  could  speak  half  a  dozen 
languages." 

"  Mr.  Fitzgerald  is,  perhaps,  as  efficient." 

Fitzgerald's  wonder  grew  and  grew. 

"  But  he  doesn't  want  to  be  a  secretary.  He 
doesn't  know  anything  about  the  work.  And  I 
haven't  got  the  time  to  teach  him,  even  if  he 
wanted  the  place." 

"  Father,"  began  the  girl,  the  fun  leaving  her 
eyes  and  her  lips  becoming  grave,  "  I  do  not  like  the 
noises  at  night.  I  have  not  suggested  the  police, 
because  robbery  is  not  the  motive." 

"  Laura,  that's  all  tommyrot.  This  is  an  old 
house,  and  the  wood  always  creaks  with  a  change 
of  temperature.  But  this  doesn't  seem  to  touch 
Mr.  Fitzgerald." 

The  girl  shrugged. 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  I  told  that  German  chap  not  to 
leave  till  he  heard  again  from  me.  I'll  hire  him. 
He  looks  like  a  man  who  wouldn't  let  noises  worry 
him.  You  will  find  your  noises  are  entirely  those 
of  imagination." 

"  Have  it  that  way,"  she  agreed  patiently. 


72  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"But  here's  Mr.  Fitzgerald  still,"  said  the  ad 
miral  pointedly. 

"  Not  long  ago  you  said  to  me  that  if  ever  I  saw 
the  son  of  David  Fitzgerald  to  bring  him  home. 
Till  yesterday  I  never  saw  him;  only  then  because 
Mrs.  Coldfield  pointed  him  out  and  wondered  what 
he  was  doing  with  a  tray  of  statuettes  around  his 
neck.  As  I  could  not  invite  him  to  come  home  with 
me,  I  did  the  next  best  thing;  I  invited  him  to  call 
on  me.  I  was  told  that  he  was  fond  of  adventures, 
so  I  gave  the  invitation  as  much  color  as  I  could. 
Do  I  stand  pardoned  ?  " 

"  Indeed  you  do !  "  cried  Fitzgerald.  So  this  was 
the  Killigrew  his  father  had  known? 

"David  Fitzgerald,  your  father?  That  makes 
all  the  difference  in  the  world."  The  admiral  thrust 
out  a  hand.  "  Your  father  wasn't  a  good  business 
man,  nor  was  he  in  the  navy,  but  he  could  draw 
charts  of  the  Atlantic  coast  with  his  eyes  shut. 
Laura,  you  get  the  whisky  and  sugar  and  hot 
water.  You  haven't  brought  me  a  secretary,  but 
you  have  brought  under  my  roof  the  son  of  an  old 
friend." 

She  laughed.     It  was  rich  and  free-toned  laugh- 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  73 

ter,  good  for  any  man  to  hear.  As  she  went  to  pre 
pare  the  toddy,  the  music  echoed  again  through  the 
hall. 

"  Sometimes  I  wake  up  in  the  morning  with  a 
new  gray  hair,"  sighed  the  admiral.  "  What  would 
you  do  with  a  girl  like  that  ?  " 

"  I'd  hang  on  to  her  as  long  as  I  could,"  earnestly. 

"  I  shall/'  grimly.  "  Your  father  and  I  were  old 
friends.  There  wasn't  a  yacht  on  these  waters 
that  could  show  him  her  heels,  not  even  my  own. 
You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  you're  no  yachtsman! 
Why,  it  ought  to  be  in  the  blood." 

"  Oh,  I  can  handle  small  craft,  but  I  don't  know 
much  about  the  engine-room.  What  time  does  the 
next  train  return  to  New  York  ?  " 

"  For  you  there'll  be  no  train  under  a  week. 
You're  going  to  stay  here,  since  you've  been  the  vic 
tim  of  a  hoax." 

"  Disabuse  your  mind  there,  sir.  I  don't  know 
when  I've  enjoyed  anything  so  thoroughly." 

"But  you'll  stay?  Oh,  yes!"  as  Fitzgerald 
shook  his  head.  "  The  secretary  can  do  the  work 
here  while  you  and  I  can  take  care  of  the  rats  in 
the  hold.  Laura's  just  imagining  things,  but  we'll 


74  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

humor  her.  If  there's  any  trouble  with  the  chim 
ney,  why,  we'll  get  a  bricklayer  and  pull  it  down." 

"  Miss  Killigrew  may  have  some  real  cause  for 
alarm.  I  saw  a  man,  or  rather,  I  heard  him,  run 
ning,  as  I  came  up  the  road  from  the  gates.  I  called 
to  him,  but  he  did  not  answer." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  Wasn't  the  porter  at  the  gates 
when  you  came  in  ?  " 

"  No.     The  footpath  was  free."  ' 

"  This  begins  to  look  serious.  If  the  porter  isn't 
there  the  gate  bell  rings,  I  can  open  it  myself  by 
wire.  I  never  bother  about  it  at  night,  unless  I  am 
expecting  some  one.  But  in  the  daytime  I  can  see 
from  here  whether  or  not  I  wish  to  open  the  gate. 
A  man  running  in  the  park,  eh?  Little  good  it  will 
do  him.  The  house  is  a  network  of  burglar 
alarms." 

"  Wires  can  be  cut  and  quickly  repaired." 

"  But  this  is  no  house  to  rob.  All  my  valuables, 
excepting  these  books,  are  in  New  York.  The 
average  burglar  isn't  of  a  literary  turn  of  mind. 
Still,  if  Laura  has  really  heard  something,  all  the 
more  reason  why  you  should  make  us  a  visit.  Wait 
a  moment.  I've  an  idea."  The  admiral  set  the 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  75 

burglar  alarm  and  tried  it.  The  expression  on  his 
face  was  blank.  "  Am  I  getting  deafer?  " 

"  No  bell  rang,"  said  Fitzgerald  quickly. 

"  By  cracky,  if  Laura  is  right !  But  not  a  word 
to  her,  mind.  When  she  goes  up-stairs  we'll  take  a 
trip  into  the  cellar  and  have  a  look  at  the  main  wire. 
You've  got  to  stay ;  that's  all  there  is  about  it.  This 
is  serious.  I  hadn't  tested  the  wires  in  a  week." 

"  Perhaps  it's  only  a  fuse." 

"  We  can  soon  find  out  about  that.  Sh !  Not  a 
word  to  her !  " 

She  entered  with  a  tray  and  two  steaming  toddies, 
as  graceful  a  being  as  Hebe  before  she  spilled  the 
precious  drop.  The  two  men  could  not  keep  their 
eyes  off  her,  the  one  with  loving  possession,  the  other 
with  admiration  not  wholly  free  from  unrest.  The 
daring  manner  in  which  she  had  lured  him  here 
would  never  be  forgetable.  And  she  had  known 
him  at  the  start  ?  And  that  merry  Mrs.  Coldfield  in 
the  plot ! 

"  I  hope  this  will  cheer  you,  father." 

"  It  always  does,"  replied  the  admiral,  as  he  took 
the  second  glass.  "  I  have  asked  Mr.  Fitzgerald  to 
spend  a  week  with  us." 


76  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Thank  you,  father.  It  was  thoughtful  of  you. 
If  you  had  not  asked  him,  the  pleasure  of  doing  so 
would  have  been  mine.  Mrs.  Coldfield  pointed  you 
out  to  me  as  a  most  ungrateful  fellow,  because  you 
never  called  on  your  father's  or  mother's  friends 
any  more,  but  preferred  to  gallivant  round  the 
world.  You  will  stay?  We  are  very  unconven 
tional  here." 

"  It  is  all  very  good  of  you.  I  am  rather  a  lone 
some  chap.  The  newspapers  and  magazines  have 
spoiled  me.  There's  never  a  moment  so  happy  to 
me  as  when  I  am  ordered  to  some  strange  country, 
thousands  of  miles  away.  It  is  in  the  blood. 
Thanks,  very  much;  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  stay. 
My  hand-bag,  however,  is  at  Swan's  Hotel,  and 
there's  very  little  in  it." 

"  A  trifling  matter  to  send  to  New  York  for  what 
you  need,"  said  the  admiral,  mightily  pleased  to 
have  a  man  to  talk  to  who  was  not  paid  to  reply. 
"  I'll  have  William  bring  the  cart  round  and  take 
you  down." 

"  No,  no ;  I  had  much  rather  walk.  I'll  turn  up 
some  time  in  the  morning,  say  luncheon,  if  that  will 
be  agreeable  to  you." 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  77 

"  As  you  please.  Only,  I  should  like  to  save  you 
an  unpleasant  walk  in  the  dark." 

"  I  don't  mind.  A  dark  street  in  a  country  vil 
lage  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  holds  little  or  no  dan 
ger." 

"  I  offered  to  build  a  first-class  lighting  plant  if 
the  town  would  agree  to  pay  the  running  expenses ; 
but  the  council  threw  it  over.  They  want  me  to 
build  a  library.  Not  much!  Hold  on,"  as  Fitz 
gerald  was  rising.  "  You  are  not  going  right  away. 
I  shan't  permit  that.  Just  a  little  visit  first." 

Fitzgerald  resumed  his  chair. 

"  Have  a  cigar.     Laura  is  used  to  it.'* 

"  But  does  Miss  Killigrew  like  it  ?  "  laughing. 

"  Cigars,  and  pipes,  and  cigarettes,"  she  returned. 
"  I  am  really  fond  of  the  aroma.  I  have  tried  to 
acquire  the  cigarette  habit,  but  I  have  yet  to  learn 
what  satisfaction  you  men  get  out  of  it." 

Conversation  veered  in  various  directions,  and 
finally  rested  upon  the  subject  of  piracy;  and  here 
the  admiral  proved  himself  a  rare  scholar.  By 
some  peculiar  inadvertency,  as  he  was  in  the  middle 
of  one  of  his  own  adventures,  his  finger  touched  the 
burglar  alarm.  Clang !  Brrrr !  From  top  to  bot- 


78  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

torn  of  the  house  came  the  shock  of  differently 
voiced  bells.  The  two  men  gazed  at  each  other 
dumfounded.  But  the  girl  laughed  merrily. 

"  You  touched  the  alarm,  father." 

"  I  rather  believe  I  did.  And  a  few  minutes  be 
fore  you  came  in  with  the  toddies  I  tried  it  and  it 
didn't  work." 

It  took  some  time  to  quiet  the  servants ;  and  when 
that  was  done  Fitzgerald  determined  to  go  down  to 
the  village. 

"  Good  night,  Mr.  Fitzgerald,"  said  the  girl. 
"  Better  beware ;  this  house  is  haunted." 

"  We'll  see  if  we  can't  lay  that  ghost,  as  they  say," 
he  responded. 

The  admiral  came  to  the  door.  "  What  do  you 
make  of  it?  "  he  whispered. 

"  You  possibly  did  not  press  the  button  squarely 
the  first  time."  And  that  was  Fitzgerald's  genuine 
belief. 

"  By  the  way,  will  you  take  a  note  for  me  to 
Swan's?  It  will  not  take  me  a  moment  to  scribble 
it." 

"  Certainly." 

Finally  the  young  man  found  himself  in  the  park. 


NO  FALSE  PRETENSES  79 

heading  quickly  toward  the  gates.  He  searched  the 
night  keenly,  but  this  time  he  neither  heard  nor  saw 
any  one.  Then  he  permitted  his  fancy  to  take  short 
flights.  Interesting  situation!  To  find  himself  a 
guest  here,  when  he  had  come  keyed  up  for  some 
thing  strenuous!  Pirates  and  jolly-rogers  and 
mysterious  trespassers  and  silent  bells,  to  say  noth 
ing  of  a  beautiful  young  woman  with  a  leaning  to 
ward  adventure !  But  the  most  surprising  turn  was 
yet  to  come. 

In  the  office  of  Swan's  hotel  the  landlord  sat  snooz 
ing  peacefully  behind  the  desk.  There  was  only  one 
customer.  He  was  a  gray-haired,  ruddy-visaged  old 
salt  in  white  duck  —  at  this  time  of  year !  —  and 
a  blue  sack-coat  dotted  with  shining  brass  buttons, 
the  whole  five-foot-four  topped  by  a  gold-braided 
officer's  cap.  He  was  drinking  what  is  jocularly 
called  a  "  schooner  "  of  beer,  and  finishing  this  he 
lurched  from  the  room  with  a  rolling,  hiccoughing 
gait,  due  entirely  to  a  wooden  peg  which  extended 
from  his  right  knee  down  to  a  highly  polished  brass 
ferrule. 

Fitzgerald  awakened  the  landlord  and  gave  him 
the  admiral's  note. 


8o  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  You  will  be  sure  and  give  this  to  the  gentleman 
in  the  morning?  " 

"  Certainly,  sir.  Mr.  Karl  Breitmann,"  reading 
the  superscription  aloud.  "  Yes,  sir ;  first  thing  in 
the  morning." 


CHAPTER  VI 

SOME   EXPLANATIONS 

KARL  BREITMANN !  Fitzgerald  pulled  off  a 
shoe,  and  carefully  deposited  it  on  the  floor 
beside  his  chair.  Private  secretary  to  Rear  Ad 
miral  Killigrew,  retired;  Karl  Breitmann!  He 
drew  off  the  second  shoe,  and  placed  it,  with  military 
preciseness,  close  to  the  first.  Absently,  he  rose, 
with  the  intention  of  putting  the  pair  in  the  hall,  but 
remembered  before  he  got  as  far  as  the  door  that 
it  was  not  customary  in  America  to  put  one's  shoes 
outside  in  the  halls.  Ultimately,  they  would  have 
been  stolen  or  have  remained  there  till  the  trump  of 
doom. 

Could  there  be  two  Breitmanns  by  the  name  of 
Karl?  Here  and  there,  across  the  world,  he  had 
heard  of  Breitmann,  but  never  had  he  seen  him 
since  that  meeting  in  Paris.  And,  simply  because 
he  had  proved  to  be  an  enthusiastic  student  of  Na- 

81 


82  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

poleon,  like  himself,  he  had  taken  the  man  to  dinner. 
But  that  was  nothing.  Under  the  same  circum 
stances  he  would  have  done  the  same  thing  again. 
There  had  been  something  fascinating  about  the 
fellow,  either  his  voice  or  his  manner.  And  there 
could  be  no  doubting  that  he  had  been  at  ebb  tide ; 
the  shiny  coat,  the  white,  but  ragged  linen,  the 
cracked  patent  leathers. 

A  baron,  and  to  reach  the  humble  grade  of  private 
secretary  to  an  eccentric  millionaire  —  for  the  ad 
miral,  with  all  his  kindliness  and  common  sense,  was 
eccentric  —  this  was  a  fall.  Where  were  his  news 
papers  ?  There  was  a  dignity  to  foreign  work,  even 
though  in  Europe  the  pay  is  small.  There  was 
trouble  going  on  here  and  there,  petty  wars  and 
political  squabbles.  Yes,  where  were  his  newspa 
pers?  Had  he  tried  New  York?  If  not,  in  that 
case,  he  —  Fitzgerald  —  could  be  of  some  solid  as 
sistance.  And  Cathewe  knew  him,  or  had  met  him. 

Fitzgerald  had  buffeted  the  high  and  low  places; 
he  seldom  made  mistakes  in  judging  men  offhand, 
an  art  acquired  only  after  many  initial  blunders. 
This  man  Breitmann  was  no  sham ;  he  was  a  scholar, 


SOME  EXPLANATIONS  83 

a  gentleman,  a  fine  linguist,  versed  in  politics  and 
war.  Well,  the  little  mystery  would  be  brushed 
aside  in  the  morning.  Breitmann  would  certainly 
recognize  him. 

But  to  have  forgotten  the  girl!  To  have  per 
mitted  a  course  of  events  to  discover  her !  Shame 
ful!  He  jumped  into  bed,  and  pulled  the  coverlet 
close  to  his  nose,  and  was  soon  asleep,  sleep  broken 
by  fantastic  dreams,  in  which  the  past  and  present 
mixed  with  the  improbable  chances  of  the  future. 

Thump-thump,  thump-thump!  To  Fitzgerald's 
fogged  hearing,  it  was  like  the  pulse  beating  in  the 
bowels  of  a  ship,  only  that  it  stopped  and  began  at 
odd  intervals,  intermittently.  At  the  fourth  recur 
rence,  he  sat  up,  to  find  that  it  was  early  morning, 
and  that  the  sea  lay,  gray  and  leaden,  under  the 
pearly  haze  of  dawn.  Thump-thump!  He  rubbed 
his  eyes,  and  laughed.  It  could  be  no  less  a  person 
than  the  old  sailor  in  the  summer-yachting  toggery. 
Drat  'em !  These  sailors  were  always  trying  to  beat 
sun-up.  At  length,  the  peg  left  the  room  above,  and 
banged  along  the  hall  and  bumped  down  the  stairs. 
Then  all  became  still  once  more,  and  the  listener 


84  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

snuggled  under  the  covers  again,  and  slept  soundly 
till  eight.  Outside,  the  day  was  full,  clear,  and 
windy. 

On  the  way  to  the  dining-room,  he  met  the  man. 
The  scars  were  a  little  deeper  in  color  and  the  face 
was  thinner,  but  there  was  no  shadow  of  doubt  in 
Fitzgerald's  mind. 

"Breitmann?  "  he  said,  with  a  friendly  hand. 

The  other  stood  still.  There  was  no  recognition 
in  his  eyes ;  at  least,  Fitzgerald  saw  none. 

"  Breitmann  is  my  name,  sir,"  he  replied  cour 
teously. 

"  I  am  Fitzgerald ;  don't  you  remember  me  ?  We 
dined  in  Paris  last  year,  after  we  had  spent  the 
afternoon  with  the  Napoleonic  relics.  You  haven't 
forgotten  Macedonia  ?  " 

Breitmann  took  the  speaker  by  the  arm,  and 
turned  him  round.  Fitzgerald  had  been  standing 
with  his  back  to  the  light.  The  scrutiny  was  short. 
The  eyes  of  the  Bavarian  softened,  though  the  quiz 
zical  wrinkles  at  the  corners  remained  unchanged. 
All  at  once  his  whole  expression  warmed. 

"It  is  you?  And  what  do  you  here?"  ex 
tending  both  hands. 


SOME  EXPLANATIONS  85 

Some  doubt  lingered  in  Fitzgerald's  mind ;  yet  the 
welcome  was  perfect,  from  whichever  point  he  chose 
to  look.  "  Come  in  to  breakfast,"  he  said,  "  and  I'll 
tell  you." 

"  My  table  is  here ;  sit  by  the  window.  Who  was 
it  said  that  the  world  is  small  ?  Do  you  know,  that 
dinner  in  Paris  was  the  first  decent  meal  I  had  had 
in  a  week?  And  I  didn't  recognize  you  at  once! 
Herr  Gott! "  with  sudden  weariness.  "  Perhaps  I 
have  had  reason  to  forget  many  things.  But  you  ?  " 

Fitzgerald  spread  his  napkin  over  his  knees. 
There  was  only  one  other  man  breakfasting.  He 
was  a  small,  wiry  person,  white  of  hair,  and  spec 
tacled,  and  was  at  that  moment  curiously  employed. 
He  had  pinned  to  the  table  a  small  butterfly,  yellow, 
with  tiny  dots  on  the  wings.  He  was  critically  in 
specting  his  find  through  a  jeweler's  glass. 

"  I  am  visiting  friends  here,"  began  Fitzgerald. 
"  Rear  Admiral  Killigrew  was  an  old  friend  of  my 
father's.  I  did  not  expect  to  remain,  but  the  ad 
miral  and  his  daughter  insisted ;  so  I  am  sending  to 
New  York  for  my  luggage,  and  will  go  up  this 
morning."  He  saw  no  reason  for  giving  fuller  de 
tails. 


86  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  So  it  must  have  been  you  who  brought  the  ad 
miral's  note.  It  is  fate.  Thanks.  Some  day  that 
casual  dinner  may  give  you  good  interest." 

The  little  man  with  the  butterfly  bent  lower  over 
his  prize. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  curses  ?  "  asked  Breitmann. 

"  Ordinary,  every-day  curses,  yes ;  but  not  in  Ro 
man  anathemas." 

"  Neither  of  those.  I  mean  the  curse  that  some 
times  dogs  a  man,  day  and  night ;  the  curse  of  mis 
fortune.  I  was  hungry  that  night  in  Paris ;  I  have 
been  hungry  many  times  since.  I  have  held  honor 
able  places;  to-day,  I  become  a  servant  at  seventy- 
five  dollars  a  month  and  my  bread  and  butter.  A 
private  secretary." 

"  But  why  aren't  you  with  some  newspaper  ?  " 
asked  Fitzgerald,  breaking  his  eggs. 

Breitmann  drew  up  his  shoulders.  "  For  the 
same  reason  that  I  am  renting  my  brains  as  a  private 
secretary.  It  was  the  last  thing  I  could  find,  and 
still  retain  a  little  self-respect.  My  heart  was  dead 
wThen  the  admiral  told  me  he  had  already  engaged 
a  secretary.  But  your  note  brought  me  the  posi 
tion." 


SOME  EXPLANATIONS  87 

"  But  the  newspapers?  " 

"  None  of  them  will  employ  me." 

"  In  New  York,  with  your  credentials  ?  " 

"  Even  so." 

"  I  don't  quite  understand." 

"  It  would  take  too  long  to  explain." 

"  I  can  give  you  some  letters." 

"  Thank  you.  It  would  be  useless.  Secretly 
and  subterraneously,  I  have  had  the  bottom  knocked 
out  from  under  my  feet.  Why,  God  knows!  But 
no  more  of  that.  Some  day  I  will  give  you  my 
version." 

The  little  man  smiled  over  his  butterfly,  took  out 
a  wallet,  something  on  the  pattern  of  a  fisherman's, 
and  put  the  new-found  specimen  into  one  of  the 
mica  compartments,  in  which  other  dead  butterflies 
of  variant  beauty  reposed. 

"  So  I  become  a  private  secretary,  till  the  time 
offers  something  better."  Breitmann  stared  at  the 
sea. 

"  I  am  sorry.  I  wish  I  could  help  you.  Better 
let  me  try."  Fitzgerald  stirred  his  coffee.  "  You 
are  convinced  that  there  is  some  cabal  working 
against  you  in  the  newspaper  business  ?  That  seems 


88  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

strange.  Some  of  them  must  have  heard  of  your 
work  —  London,  Paris,  Berlin.  Have  you  tried 
them  all?" 

"Yes.  Nothing  for  me,  but  promises  as  thick 
as  yonder  sands." 

The  little  man  rose,  and  walked  out  of  the  room, 
smiling. 

"  Splendid !  "  he  murmured.  "  What  a  speci 
men  to  add  to  my  collection !  " 

"  Do  you  know  what  your  duties  will  be  ?  "  Fitz 
gerald  inquired. 

"  They  will  consist  of  replying  to  begging  letters 
from  the  needy  and  deserving,  from  crazy  inventors, 
and  ministers.  In  the  meantime,  I  am  to  do  trans 
lating,  together  with  indexing  a  vast  library  devoted 
to  pirates.  Droll,  isn't  it?"  Breitmann  laughed, 
but  this  time  without  bitterness. 

"  It  is  a  harmless  hobby,"  rather  resenting  Breit- 
mann's  tone. 

"More  than  that,"  quickly;  "it  is  philanthropic, 
since  it  will  employ  me  for  some  length  of  time." 

"  When  do  they  expect  you  ?  " 

"At  half-after  ten." 


SOME  EXPLANATIONS  89 

"  We'll  go  up  together,  then.  Did  you  see  the 
admiral's  daughter?  " 

"  A  daughter  ?  Has  he  one  ?  "  Breitmann  ac 
cepted  this  news  with  an  expression  of  disfavor. 

"  Yes ;  and  charming,  I  can  tell  you.  It's  all  very 
odd.  In  Paris  that  night,  they  both  sat  at  the  next 
table." 

"  Why  did  you  not  speak  to  them?  " 

"  Didn't  know  who  they  were.  The  admiral  was 
one  of  my  father's  boyhood  friends,  and  I  did  not 
meet  them  till  very  recently ; "  which  was  all  true 
enough.  For  some  unaccountable  reason,  Fitzger 
ald  found  that  he  was  on  guard.  "  I  have  ordered 
an  open  carriage.  If  you  have  any  trunks,  I  can 
take  them  up  for  you." 

"  It  will  be  good  of  you." 

They  proceeded  to  finish  the  repast,  and  then 
sought  the  office,  for  their  reckoning.  Later,  they 
strolled  toward  the  water  front.  Fitzgerald,  dur 
ing  moments  when  the  talk  lagged,  thought  over 
the  meeting.  There  was  a  false  ring  to  it  some 
where.  If  Breitmann  had  been  turned  down  in  all 
the  offices  in  New  York,  there  must  have  been  some 


90  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

good  cause.  Newspapers  were  not  passing  over 
men  of  this  fellow's  experience,  unless  he  had  been 
proved  untrustworthy.  Breitmann  had  not  told 
him  everything;  he  had  even  told  him  too  little. 
Still,  he  would  withhold  his  judgment  till  he  heard 
from  New  York  on  the  subject.  Cathewe  hadn't 
been  enthusiastic  over  the  name;  but  Cathewe  was 
never  inclined  to  enthusiasms. 

Passing  the  angle  of  the  freight  depot  brought 
the  little  harbor  into  full  view.  A  fine  white  yacht 
lay  tugging  at  her  cables. 

"  There's  a  beauty,"  said  Fitzgerald  admiringly. 

"  She  looks  as  if  she  could  take  care  of  herself. 
How  fresh  the  green  water-line  looks!  She'll  be 
fast  in  moderate  weather ;  a  fair  thousand  tons,  per 
haps." 

"  A  close  guess." 

"  I  understand  she  belongs  to  my  employer.  I 
hope  he  takes  the  sea  soon.  I  suppose  you  know 
that  I  have  knocked  about  some  as  a  sailor." 

"  That  will  help  you  into  the  good  graces  of  the 
admiral." 

"  How  dull  and  uninteresting  the  coast-lines  are 
here!  No  gardens,  no  palms,  nothing  of  beauty." 


SOME  EXPLANATIONS  91 

"  You  must  remember  the  immensity  of  this 
coast  and  that  our  summers  are  really  less  than  three 
months.  Here  comes  one  who  can  tell  us  about 
the  yacht,"  cried  Fitzgerald,  espying  the  peg-legged 
sailor.  "  I  say !  "  he  hailed,  as  the  old  sailor,  drew 
nigh;  "  you  are  on  the  Laura,  are  you  not?  " 

"  Yessir.  An'  I've  bin  on  her  since  she  wus 
commissioned  as  a  pleasure  yacht,  sir.  Capt'n." 

"Ah!" 

"  Fought  under  th'  commodore  in  th'  war,  sir ;  an' 
he  knows  me,  an'  I  knows  him ;  an'  when  Flanagan 
is  on  th'  bridge,  he  doesn't  signal  no  pilots  between 
Key  West  an'  St.  Johns." 

"  I  am  visiting  the  admiral,"  said  Fitzgerald, 
amused. 

"  Oh ! "  Captain  Flanagan  ducked,  with  his 
hand  to  his  cap.  On  land,  he  was  likely  to  imitate 
landsmen  in  manners  and  politeness;  but  on  board 
he  tipped  his  hat  to  nobody;  leastwise,  to  nobody 
but  Miss  Laura,  bless  her  heart !  "  I  reckon  one 
o'  you  is  th'  new  sec'rety." 

"  Yes,  I  am  the  new  secretary,"  replied  Breit- 
mann,  unsmiling. 

"  Furrin  parts  ?  " 


92  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  well ! "  as  if,  while  he  couldn't  help  the 
fact,  it  was  none  the  less  to  be  pitied.  "  You'll  be 
comin'  aboard  soon,  then.  Off  for  th'  Banks. 
Take  my  word  for  it,  you'll  find  her  as  stjddy  as 
one  o'  your  floatin'  hotels,  sir,  where  you  don't  see 
no  sailor  but  a  deck  hand  as  swabs  th'  scuppers  when 
a  beam  sea's  on.  Good  mornin' ! "  And  Captain 
Flanagan  stumped  off  toward  the  village. 

Breitmann  shrugged  contemptuously. 

"  He  may  not  be  in  European  yachting  form," 
admitted  Fitzgerald,  "but  he's  the  kind  of  man 
who  makes  a  navy  a  good  fighting  machine." 

"  But  we  usually  pick  out  gentlemen  to  captain 
our  private  yachts." 

"  Oh,  this  Flanagan  is  an  exception.  There  is 
probably  a  fighting  bond  between  him  and  the  ad 
miral;  that  makes  some  difference.  You  observed, 
he  called  the  owner  by  the  title  of  commodore,  as 
he  did  thirty-five  years  ago.  Ten  o'clock ;  we  should 
be  going  up." 

The  carriage  was  at  the  hotel  when  they  returned. 
They  bundled  in  their  traps,  and  drove  away. 

The  little  man  now  dropped  into  the  railway  sta- 


SOME  EXPLANATIONS  93 

tion,  and  stuck  his  head  into  the  ticket  aperture. 
The  agent,  who  was  seated  before  the  telegraph 
keys,  looked  up. 

"  No  tickets  before  half-past  ten,  sir." 

"  I  am  not  wanting  a  ticket.  I  wish  to  know  if 
I  can  send  a  cable  from  here." 

"  A  cable  ?     Sure.     Where  to  ?  " 

"  Paris." 

"Yes,  sir.  I  telegraph  it  to  the  cable  office  in 
New  York,  and  they  do  the  rest.  Here  are  some 
blanks." 

The  other  wrote  some  hieroglyphics,  which  made 
the  address  impossible  to  decipher,  save  that  it  was 
directed  mainly  to  Paris.  The  body  of  the  cable 
gram  contained  a  single  word.  The  writer  paid  the 
toll,  and  went  away. 

"Now,  what  would  you  think  of  that?"  mur 
mured  the  operator,  scratching  his  head  in  perplex 
ity.  "  Well,  the  company  gets  the  money,  so  it's 
all  the  same  to  me.  Butterflies;  and  all  the  rest  in 
French.  Next  time  it'll  be  bugs.  All  right;  here 
goes ! " 


CHAPTER  VII 

A   BIT    OF   ROMANTIC    HISTORY 

THE  house  at  the  top  of  the  hill  had  two  names. 
It  had  once  been  called  The  Watch  Tower, 
for  reasons  but  vaguely  known  by  the  present  gen 
eration  of  villagers.  To-day  it  was  generally  styled 
The  Pines.  Yet  even  this  had  fallen  into  disuse, 
save  on  the  occupant's  letter  paper.  When  any  one 
asked  where  Rear  Admiral  Killigrew  lived,  he  was 
directed  to  "  the  big  white  house  at  the  top  o'  the 
hill." 

The  Killigrews  had  not  been  born  and  bred  there. 
Its  builder  had  been  a  friend  of  King  George;  that 
is,  his  sympathies  had  been  with  taxation  without 
representation.  One  day  he  sold  the  manor  cheap. 
His  reasons  were  sufficient.  It  then  became  the 
property  of  a  wealthy  trader,  who  died  in  it.  This 
was  in  1809.  His  heirs,  living,  and  preferring  to 
live,  in  Philadelphia,  put  up  a  sign;  and  being  of 

94 


A  BIT  OF  ROMANTIC  HISTORY      95 

careful  disposition,  kept  the  place  in  excellent  re 
pair. 

In  the  year  1816,  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  a 
Frenchman,  and  during  his  day  the  villagers  called 
the  house  The  Watch  Tower;  for  the  Frenchman 
was  always  on  the  high  balcony,  telescope  in  hand, 
gazing  seaward.  No  one  knew  his  name.  He 
dealt  with  the  villagers  through  his  servant,  who 
could  speak  English,  himself  professing  that  he 
could  not  speak  the  language.  He  was  a  recluse, 
almost  a  hermit.  At  odd  times,  a  brig  would  be 
seen  dropping  anchor  in  the  offing.  She  was  always 
from  across  the  water,  from  the  old  country,  as  vil 
lagers  to  this  day  insist  upon  calling  Europe.  The 
manor  during  these  peaceful  invasions  showed  signs 
of  life.  Men  from  the  brig  went  up  to  the  big 
white  house,  and  remained  there  for  a  week  or  a 
month.  And  they  were  lean  men,  battle-scarred 
and  fierce  of  eye,  some  with  armless  sleeves,  some 
with  stiff  legs,  some  twisted  with  rheumatism.  All 
spoke  French,  and  spat  whenever  they  saw  the  per 
fidious  flag  of  old  England.  This  was  not  marked 
against  them  as  a  demerit,  for  the  War  of  1812  was 
yet  smoking  here  and  there  along  the  Great  Lakes. 


96  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Suddenly,  they  would  up  and  away,  and  the  manor 
would  reassume  its  repellent  aloofness.  Each  time 
they  returned  their  number  was  diminished.  Old 
age  had  succeeded  war  as  a  harvester.  In  1822,  the 
mysterious  old  recluse  surrendered  the  ghost.  His 
heirs —  ignored  and  hated  by  him  for  their  affilia 
tion  with  the  Bourbons  —  sold  it  to  the  father  of  the 
admiral. 

The  manor  wasn't  haunted.  The  hard-headed 
longshoremen  and  sailors  who  lived  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  were  a  practical  people,  to  whom  spirits 
were  something  mostly  and  generally  put  up  in 
bottles,  and  emptied  on  sunless,  blustery  days.  Still, 
they  wouldn't  have  been  human  if  they  had  not  done 
some  romancing. 

There  were  a  dozen  yarns,  each  at  variance  with 
the  other.  First,  the  old  "  monseer  "  was  a  fugi 
tive  from  France ;  everybody  granted  that.  Second, 
that  he  had  helped  to  cut  off  King  Lewis'  head; 
but  nobody  could  prove  that.  Third,  that  he  was 
a  retired  pirate;  but  retired  pirates  always  wound 
up  their  days  in  riotous  living,  so  this  theory  died. 
Fourth,  that  he  had  been  a  great  soldier  in  the 
Napoleonic  wars,  and  this  version  had  some  basis, 


A  BIT  OF  ROMANTIC  HISTORY      97 

as  the  old  man's  face  was  slashed  and  cut,  some  of 
his  fingers  were  missing,  and  he  limped.  Again, 
he  had  been  banished  from  France  for  a  share  in 
the  Hundred  Days.  But,  all  told,  nothing  was 
proved  conclusively,  though  the  villagers  burrowed 
and  delved  and  hunted  and  pried,  as  villagers  are 
prone  to  do  when  a  person  appears  among  them  and 
keeps  his  affairs  strictly  to  himself. 

But  the  next  generation  partly  forgot,  and  the 
present  only  indifferently  remembered  that,  once 
upon  a  time,  a  French  emigre  had  lived  and  died  up 
there.  They  knew  all  there  wras  to  know  about  the 
present  owner.  It  was  all  compactly  written  and 
pictured  in  a  book  of  history,  which  book  agents 
sold  over  the  land,  even  here  in  Dalton. 

All  these  things  Fitzgerald  and  his  companion 
learned  from  the  driver  on  the  journey  up  the  in 
cline. 

"  Where  was  this  Frenchman  buried  ?  "  inquired 
Breitmann  softly. 

"  In  th'  cemet'ry  jest  over  th'  hill.  But  nobody 
knows  jest  where  he  is  now.  Stone's  gone,  an'  th' 
ground's  all  level  that  end.  He  wus  on'y  a  French 
man.  But  th'  admiral,  now  you're  talkin'!  He 


98  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

pays  cash,  an'  don't  make  no  bargain  rates,  when  he 
wants  a  job  done.  Go  wan,  y'  ol'  nag;  what  y' 
dreamin'  of?  " 

"  There  might  be  history  in  that  corner  of  the 
graveyard,"  said  Breitmann. 

"  Who  knows?  Good  many  strange  bits  of  fur 
niture  found  their  way  over  here  during  those  tre 
mendous  times.  Beautiful  place  in  the  daytime; 
eh  ?  "  Fitzgerald  added,  with  an  inclination  toward 
The  Pines. 

"  More  like  an  Italian  villa  than  an  Englishman's 
home.  Good  gardeners,  I  should  say." 

"  Culture  and  money  will  make  a  bog  attractive." 

"  Is  the  admiral  cultured,  then?  " 

"  I  should  imagine  so.  But  I  am  sure  the  daugh 
ter  is.  Not  that  veneer  which  passes  for  it,  but 
that  deep  inner  culture,  which  gives  a  deft,  artistic 
touch  to  the  hand,  softens  the  voice,  gives  elegance 
to  the  carriage,  with  a  heart  and  mind  nicely 
balanced.  Judge  for  yourself,  when  you  see  her. 
If  there  is  any  rare  knickknack  in  the  house,  it  will 
have  been  put  there  by  the  mother's  hand  or  the 
daughter's.  The  admiral,  I  believe,  occupies  himself 
with  his  books,  his  butterflies,  and  his  cruises." 


A  BIT  OF  ROMANTIC  HISTORY      99 

"  A  daughter.  She  is  cultured,  you  say?  Ah,  if 
culture  would  only  take  beauty  in  hand!  But  al- 
v\rays  she  selects  the  plainer  of  two  women." 

Fitzgerald  smiled  inwardly.  "  I  have  told  you 
she  is  not  plain." 

"Oh,  beautiful,"  thoughtfully.  "Culture  and 
beauty ;  I  shall  be  pleased  to  observe." 

"H'm!  If  there  is  any  marrow  in  your  bones, 
my  friend,  you'll  show  more  interest  when  you  see 
her."  This  was  thought,  not  spoken.  Fitzgerald 
wasn't  going  to  rhapsodize  over  Miss  Killigrew's 
charms.  It  would  have  been  not  only  incautious, 
but  suspicious.  Aloud,  he  said :  "  She  has  a  will 
of  her  own,  I  take  it;  however,  of  a  quiet,  resolute 
order." 

"  So  long  as  she  is  not  capricious,  and  does  not 
interfere  with  my  work  — " 

"  Or  peace  of  mind ! "  interrupted  Fitzgerald, 
with  prophetic  suddenness,  which  was  modified  by 
laughter. 

"  No,  my  friend;  no  woman  has  ever  yet  stirred 
my  heart,  though  many  have  temporarily  captured 
my  senses.  A  man  in  my  position  has  no  right  to 
love,"  with  a  dignity  which  surprised  his  auditor. 


ioo  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Fitzgerald  looked  down  at  the  wheels.  There 
was  something  even  more  than  dignity,  an  indefin 
able  something,  a  superiority  which  Fitzgerald's 
present  attitude  of  mind  could  not  approach. 

"  This  man,"  he  mused,  "  will  afford  some  inter 
esting  study.  One  would  think  that  nothing  less 
than  a  grand  duke  was  riding  in  this  rattling  old 
carryall."  There  was  silence  for  a  time.  "  I  must 
warn  you,  Breitmann,  that,  in  all  probability,  you 
will  have  your  meals  at  the  table  with  the  admiral 
and  his  daughter;  at  least,  in  this  house." 

"  At  the  same  table  ?  It  would  hardly  be  so  in 
Europe.  But  it  pleases  me.  I  have  been  alone  so 
much  that  I  grow  moody ;  and  that  is  not  good." 

There  was  always  that  trifling  German  accent,  no 
matter  what  tongue  he  used,  but  it  was  perceptible 
only  to  the  trained  ear.  And  yet,  to  Fitzgerald's 
mind,  the  man  was  at  times  something  Gallic  in  his 
liveliness. 

"  You  will  never  use  your  title,  then  ?  " 

Breitmann  laughed.     "  No." 

"You  have  made  a  great  mistake.  You  should 
have  fired  the  first  shot  with  it.  You  would  have 


married  an  heiress  by  this  time,"  ironically,  "  and  all 
your  troubles  would  be  over." 

"  Or  begun,"  in  the  same  spirit.  "  I'm  no  fortune 
hunter,  in  the  sense  you  mean.  Pah!  I  have  no 
debts ;  no  crumbling  schloss  to  rebuild.  All  I  ask  is 
to  be  let  alone,"  with  a  flash  of  that  moodiness  of 
which  he  had  spoken.  "  How  long  will  you  be 
here?" 

"  Can't  say.  Three  or  four  days,  perhaps.  It 
all  depends.  .What  shall  I  say  about  you  to 
them?" 

"  As  little  as  possible." 

"  And  that's  really  about  all  I  could  say,"  with  a 
suggestion. 

But  the  other  failed  to  meet  the  suggestion  half 
way. 

"You  might  forget  about  my  ragged  linen  in 
Paris,"  acridly. 

"  I'll  omit  that,"  good-naturedly.  "  Come,  be 
cheerful;  fortune's  wheel  will  turn,  and  it  pulls  up 
as  well  as  down.  Remember  that." 

"  I  must  be  on  the  ascendancy,  for  God  knows 
that  I  am  at  the  nadir  just  at  present."  He  breathed 


102  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

in  the  sweet  freshness  which  still  clung  to  the  morn 
ing,  and  settled  his  shoulders  like  a  recruiting  ser 
geant. 

"  How  well  the  man  has  studied  his  English ! " 
thought  Fitzgerald.  He  rarely  hesitated  for  a 
word,  and  his  idioms  were  always  nicely  adjusted. 

The  admiral  was  alone.  He  received  them  with 
an  easy  courtliness,  which  is  more  noticeable  in  the 
old  world  than  in  the  new.  He  directed  the  serv 
ants  to  take  charge  of  the  luggage,  and  to  Breit- 
mann  there  was  never  a  word  about  work.  That 
had  all  been  decided  by  letter.  He  urged  the  new 
secretary  to  return  to  the  library  as  soon  as  he  had 
established  himself. 

"  Strange  that  you  should  know  the  man,"  said 
the  admiral.  "  It  comes  in*  pat.  From  what  you 
say,  he  must  be  a  brilliant  fellow.  But  this  situation 
seems  rather  out  of  his  line." 

"We  all  have  our  ups  and  downs,  admiral.  I've 
known  a  pinch  or  two  myself.  We  are  an  improvi 
dent  lot,  we  writers,  who  wander  round  the  globe; 
rich  to-day,  poor  to-morrow.  But  on  the  other 
hand,  it's  something  to  set  down  on  paper  what  a 
king  says,  the  turn  of  a  battle,  to  hobnob  with 


A  BIT  OF  ROMANTIC  HISTORY     103 

famous  men,  explorers,  novelists,  painters,  soldiers, 
scientists,  to  say  nothing  of  the  meat  in  the  pie  and 
the  bottom  crust.  I'm  going  to  write  a  novel  some 
day  myself." 

"  Here,"  said  the  admiral,  with  a  sweep  of  the 
hand,  which  included  the  row  upon  row  of  books, 
"  come  here  to  do  it.  Make  it  a  pirate  story ;  there's 
always  room  for  another." 

"  But  it  takes  a  Stevenson  to  write  it.  It  is  very 
good  of  you,  though.  Where  is  Miss  Killigrew  this 
morning?  " 

"  She  hasn't  returned  from  her  ride.  Ah !  Come 
in,  Mr.  Breitmann,  and  sit  down.  By  the  way,  you 
two  must  be  fair  horsemen." 

Breitmann  smiled,  and  Fitzgerald  laughed. 

"  I  dare  say,"  replied  the  latter,  "  that  there's 
only  one  thing  we  two  haven't  ridden:  ostriches. 
Camels  and  elephants  and  donkeys;  we've  done 
some  warm  sprinting.  Eh,  Breitmann?" 

The  secretary  agreed  with  a  nod.  He  was  rather 
grateful  for  Fitzgerald's  presence.  This  occupa 
tion  was  not  going  to  be  menial ;  at  the  least,  there 
would  be  pleasant  sides  to  it.  And,  then,  it  might 
not  take  him  a  week  to  complete  his  own  affair. 


104  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

There  was  no  misreading  the  admiral;  he  was  a 
gentleman,  affable,  kindly,  and  a  good  story-teller, 
too,  crisp  and  to  the  point,  sailor  fashion.  Breit- 
mann  cleverly  drew  him  out.  Pirates!  He  dared 
not  smile.  Why,  there  was  hardly  such  a  thing  in 
the  pearl  zone,  and  China  was  on  the  highway  to 
respectability.  And  every  once  in  so  often  there 
was  a  futile  treasure  hunt !  He  grew  cold.  If  this 
old  man  but  knew ! 

"  Do  you  know  butterflies,  Mr.  Fitzgerald  ?  " 

"Social?" 

The  admiral  laughed.  "  No.  The  law  doesn't 
permit  you  to  stick  pins  in  that  kind.  No ;  I  mean 
that  kind,"  indicating  the  cases. 

Both  young  men  admitted  that  this  field  had  been 
left  unexplored  by  either  of  them. 

It  was  during  a  lull,  when  the  talk  had  fallen  to 
the  desultory,  that  the  hall  door  opened,  and  Laura 
came  in.  Her  cheeks  glowed  like  the  sunny  side  of 
a  Persian  peach;  her  eyes  sparkled;  between  her 
moist  red  lips  there  was  a  flash  of  firm,  white  teeth ; 
the  seal-brown  hair  glinted  a  Venetian  red  —  for  at 
that  moment  she  stood  in  the  path  of  the  sunshine 
which  poured  in  at  the  window  —  and  blown  ten- 


A  BIT  OF  ROMANTIC  HISTORY    105 

drils  in  picturesque  disorder  escaped  from  under  her 
hat. 

The  three  men  rose  hastily ;  the  father  with  pride, 
Fitzgerald  with  gladness,  and  Breitmann  with  doubt 
and  wonder  and  fear. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SOME   BIRDS   IN   A   CHIMNEY 

IT,  might  be  truthfully  said  that  the  tableau 
lasted  as  long  as  she  willed  it  to  last.  Per 
haps  she  read  in  the  three  masculine  faces  turned 
toward  her  a  triangular  admiration,  since  it  ema 
nated  from  three  given  points,  and  took  from  it  a 
modest  pinch  for  her  vanity.  Vain  she  never  was ; 
still,  she  was  not  without  a  share  of  vanity,  that 
vanity  of  the  artless,  needing  no  sacrifices,  which 
is  gratified  and  appeased  by  a  smile.  It  pleased  her 
to  know  that  she  was  lovely;  and  it  doubled  her 
pleasure  to  realize  that  her  loveliness  pleased  others. 
She  demanded  no  hearts;  she  craved  no  jewels,  no 
flattery.  She  warmed  when  eyes  told  her  she  was 
beautiful;  but  she  chilled  whenever  the  lips  took  up 
the  speech,  and  voiced  it.  She  was  one  of  those 
happy  beings  in  either  sex  who  can  amuse  them 
selves,  who  can  hold  pleasant  communion  with  the 

1 06 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       107 

inner  self,  who  can  find  romance  in  old  houses,  and 
yet  love  books,  who  prefer  sunrises  and  sunsets  at 
first  hand,  still  loving  a  good  painting. 

Perhaps  this  trend  of  character  was  the  result 
of  her  inherited  love  of  the  open.  With  almost  un 
limited  funds  under  her  own  hand,  she  lived  simply. 
She  was  never  happy  in  smart  society,  though  it  was 
always  making  demands  upon  her.  When  abroad, 
she  was  generally  prowling  through  queer  little 
shops  instead  of  mingling  with  the  dress  parades  on 
the  grand-hotel  terraces.  There  was  no  great  bat 
tle-field  in  Europe  she  had  not  trod  upon.  She  knew 
them  so  well  that  she  could  people  each  field  with  the 
familiar  bright  regiments,  bayonets  and  sabers, 
pikes  and  broadswords,  axes  and  crossbowmen, 
matchlock  and  catapult,  rifles  and  cannon. 

And  what  she  did  not  know  of  naval  warfare  her 
father  did.  They  were  very  companionable. 
There  was  never  any  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the 
admiral.  Indeed,  he  was  always  grateful  when 
some  young  man  evinced  a  deep  regard  for  his 
daughter.  He  would  have  her  always,  married  or 
unmarried.  He  was  rich  enough,  and  the  son-in- 
law  should  live  with  him.  He  was  so  assured  of 


108  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

her  good  judgment,  he  knew  that  whenever  this  son- 
in-law  came  along,  there  would  be  another  man  in 
the  family.  He  had  long  ceased  to  bother  his  head 
about  the  flylike  buzzing  of  fortune  hunters.  He 
had  been  father  and  mother  and  brother  to  the 
child,  and  with  wisdom. 

She  smiled  at  her  father,  gave  her  hand  to  Fitz 
gerald,  who  found  it  warm  and  moist  from  the  ride, 
and  glanced  inquiringly  at  Breitmann. 

"  My  dear,"  said  her  father,  "  this  is  Mr.  Breit 
mann,  my  new  secretary." 

That  gentleman  bowed  stiffly,  and  the  scars  faded 
somewhat  when  he  observed  that  her  hand  was  ex 
tended  in  welcome.  This  unconventionality  rather 
confused  him,  and  as  he  took  the  hand  he  almost 
kissed  it.  She  understood  the  innocence  of  the 
gesture,  and  saved  him  from  embarrassment  by 
withdrawing  the  hand  casually. 

"  I  hope  you  will  like  it  here,"  was  the  pleasant 
wish. 

"  Thank  you,  I  shall." 

"  You  are  German?  "  quickly. 

"  I  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Miss  Killigrew." 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       109 

"  The  name  should  have  told  me."  She  excused 
herself. 

"  Oho !  "  thought  Fitzgerald,  with  malicious  ex 
ultancy.  "If  she  doesn't  interfere  with  your 
work!" 

But  with  introspection,  this  exultancy  grew  sud 
denly  dim.  How  about  himself?  Yes.  Here  was 
a  question  that  would  bear  some  close  inspection. 
Was  it  really  the  wish  to  capture  a  supposable 
burglar?  He  made  short  work  of  this  analysis. 
He  never  lied  to  others  —  not  even  in  his  work, 
which  every  one  knows  is  endowed  with  special 
licenses  in  regard  to  truth  —  nor  did  he  ievery  play 
the  futile,  if  soothing,  game  of  lying  to  himself. 
This  girl  was  different  from  the  ordinary  run  of 
girls;  she  might  become  dangerous.  He  determined 
then  and  there  not  to  prolong  his  visit  more  than 
three  or  four  days ;  just  to  satisfy  her  that  there  was 
no  ghost  in  the  chimney.  Then  he  would  return  to 
New  York.  He  had  no  more  right  than  Breitmann 
to  fall  in  love  with  the  daughter  of  a  millionaire. 
Loving  her  was  not  impossible,  but  leaving  at  an 
early  day  would  go  toward  lessening  the  probability. 


no  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

He  was  not  afraid  of  Breitmann ;  he  was  foreigner 
enough  to  accept  at  once  his  place,  and  to  appre 
ciate  that  he  and  this  girl  stood  at  the  two  ends  of 
the  world. 

And  Breitmann's  mind,  which  had,  up  to  this 
time,  been  deep  and  unruffled  as  a  pool,  became 
strangely  disturbed. 

The  time  moved  on  to  luncheon.  Breitmann 
took  the  part  of  listener,  and  spoke  only  when  ad 
dressed. 

"  I  must  tell  you,  Mr.  Breitmann,"  said  Laura, 
"  that  a  ghost  has  returned  to  us." 

"  A  ghost  ?  "  interestedly. 

"  Yes.  My  daughter,"  said  the  admiral  toler 
antly,  "  believes  that  she  hears  strange  noises  at 
night,  tapping,  and  such  like." 

"  Oh !  "  politely.  Breitmann  broke  his  bread  idly. 
It  was  too  bad.  She  had  not  produced  upon  him 
the  impression  that  she  was  the  sort  of  woman 
whose  imagination  embraced  the  belief  in  spirits. 
"  Where  does  this  ghost  do  its  tapping?  " 

"  In  the  big  chimney  in  the  library,"  she  an 
swered. 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       in 

No  one  observed  Breitmann's  hand  as  it  slid  from 
the  bread,  some  of  which  was  scattered  upon  the 
floor.  The  scars,  betraying  emotion  such  as  no 
mental  effort  could  control,  deepened,  which  is  to 
say  that  the  skin  above  and  below  them  had  paled. 

"  Might  it  not  be  some  trial  visit  of  your  patron 
saint,  Santa  Claus  ?  "  he  inquired,  his  voice  well 
under  control. 

"  Really,  it  is  no  jest,"  she  affirmed.  "  For  sev 
eral  nights  I  have  heard  the  noise  distinctly ;  a  muf 
fled  tapping  inside  the  chimney." 

"Suppose  we  inspect  it  after  luncheon?"  sug 
gested  Fitzgerald. 

"  It  has  been  done,"  said  the  admiral.  Out 
wardly  he  was  still  skeptical,  but  a  doubt  was  form 
ing  in  his  mind. 

"  It  will  do  no  harm  to  try  it  again,"  said  Breit- 
mann. 

If  Fitzgerald  noted  the  subdued  excitement  in  the 
man's  voice,  he  charged  it  to  the  moment. 

"  Take  my  word  for  it,"  avowed  the  admiral, 
"  you  will  find  nothing.  Bring  the  coffee  into  the 
library,"  he  added  to  the  butler. 


ii2  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

The  logs  were  taken  out  of  the  fireplace,  and  as 
soon  as  the  smoke  cleared  the  young  men  gave  the 
inside  of  the  chimney  a  thorough  going  over.  They 
could  see  the  blue  sky  away  up  above.  The  opening 
was  large,  but  far  too  small  for  any  human  being  to 
enter  down  it.  The  mortar  between  the  bricks 
seemed  for  the  most  part  undisturbed.  Breitmann 
made  the  first  discovery  of  any  importance.  Just 
above  his  height,  standing  in  the  chimney  itself,  he 
saw  a  single  brick  projecting  beyond  its  mates.  He 
reached  up,  and  shook  it.  It  was  loose.  He 
wrenched  it  out,  and  came  back  into  the  light. 

"  See !  Nothing  less  than  a  chisel  could  have  cut 
the  mortar  that  way.  Miss  Killigrew  is  right." 
He  went  back,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  tongs  poked 
into  the  cavity.  The  wall  of  bricks  was  four  deep, 
yet  the  tongs  went  through.  This  business  had  been 
done  from  the  other  side. 

"  Well! "  exclaimed  the  admiral,  for  once  at  loss 
for  a  proper  phrase. 

"  You  see,  father  ?  I  was  right.  Now,  what  can 
it  mean?  Who  is  digging  out  the  bricks,  and  for 
what  purpose  ?  And  how,  with  the  alarms  all  over 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       113 

the  house,  to  account  for  the  footprints  in  the 
flour?" 

"  It  is  quite  likely  that  something  is  hidden  in  the 
chimney,  and  some  one  knows  that  it  is  worth  hunt 
ing  for.  This  chimney  is  the  original,  I  should 
judge."  Fitzgerald  addressed  this  observation  to 
the  admiral. 

"  Never  been  touched  during  my  time  or  my 
father's.  But  we  can  soon  find  out  I'll  have  a 
man  up  here.  If  there  is  anything  in  the  chimney 
that  ought  not  to  be  there,  he'll  dig  it  out,  and  save 
our  midnight  visitor  any  further  trouble." 

"  Why  not  wait  a  little  while  ?  "  Fitzgerald  ven 
tured.  "  With  Breitmann.  and  me  in  the  house,  we 
might  trap  the  man." 

"A  good  scheme  1" 

"  He  comes  from  the  outside,  somewhere ;  from 
the  cellar,  probably.  Let  us  try  the  cellar."  Breit- 
mann  urged  this  with  a  gesture  of  his  hands. 

"  There'll  be  sport,"  said  Fitzgerald. 

The  coffee  was  cold  in  the  little  cups  when  they 
returned  to  it.  The  cellar,  as  far  as  any  one  could 
learn,  was  free  from  any  signs  of  recent  invasion. 
It  was  puzzling. 


A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  And  the  servants  ?  "  Breitmann  intimated. 

"  They  have  been  in  the  family  for  years." 
The  admiral  shook  his  head  convincedly.  "  I  ask 
your  pardon,  my  dear.  My  ears  are  not  so  keen 
as  might  be.  I'm  an  old  blockhead  to  think  that  you 
were  having  an  attack  of  ghosts.  But  we'll  solve 
the  riddle  shortly,  and  then  we  shan't  have  any 
trouble  with  our  alarm  bells,"  with  a  significant 
glance  at  Fitzgerald.  "  Well,  Mr.  Breitmann,  sup 
pose  we  take  a  look  at  the  work?  Laura,  you 
show  Mr.  Fitzgerald  the  gardens.  The  view  from 
the  terrace  is  excellent." 

Fine  weather.  The  orchard  was  pink  with  apple 
blossoms,  giving  the  far  end  of  the  park  a  tint  not 
unlike  Sicilian  almonds  in  bloom.  And  the  inter 
mittent  breeze,  as  it  waned  or  strengthened,  carried 
delicate  perfumes  to  and  fro.  Yon  was  the  sea, 
with  well-defined  horizon,  and  down  below  were 
the  few  smacks  and  the  white  yacht  Laura,  formally 
bowing  to  one  another,  or  tossing  their  noses  im 
pudently;  and,  far  away,  was  the  following  trail  of 
brown  smoke  from  some  ship  which  had  dropped 
down  the  horizon. 

Fitzgerald    stood    silent,    musing,    at    the    girl's 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       115 

side.  He  was  fond  of  vistas.  There  was  rest 
in  them,  a  peace  not  to  be  found  even  in  the  twi 
light  caverns  of  cathedrals;  wind  blowing  over 
waters,  the  flutter  of  leaves,  the  bend  in  the  grasses. 
To  dwell  in  a  haven  like  this.  No  care,  no  worry, 
no  bother  of  grubbing  about  in  one's  pockets  for 
overlooked  coins,  no  flush  of  excitement!  It  is, 
after  all,  the  homeless  man  who  answers  quickest 
the  beckon  of  wanderlust.  It  is  only  when  he 
comes  into  the  shelter  of  such  a  roof  that  he  draws 
into  his  heart  the  bitter  truth  of  his  loneliness. 

"  You  must  think  me  an  odd  girl." 

"Pray  why?" 

"  By  the  manner  in  which  I  brought  you  here." 

"  On  the  contrary,  you  are  one  of  the  few  women 
I  ever  met  who  know  something  about  scoring  a 
good  joke.  Didn't  your  friend,  Mrs.  Coldfield, 
know  my  mother;  and  wasn't  your  father  a  great 
friend  of  my  father's?  As  for  being  odd,  what 
about  me?  I  believe  I  stood  on  the  corner,  and 
tried  to  sell  plaster  casts,  just  to  win  a  foolish  club 
wager." 

"  Men  can  jest  that  way  with  impunity,  but  a 
woman  may  not  Still,  I  really  couldn't  help  acting 


n6  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

the  way  I  did,"  with  a  tinkle  in  her  voice  and  a 
twinkle  in  her  eyes. 

"  Convention  is  made  up  of  many  idiotic  laws. 
Why  we"  feel  obliged  to  obey  is  beyond  offhand 
study.  Of  course,  the  main  block  is  sensible;  it 
holds  humanity  together.  It's  the  irritating,  burr- 
like  amendments  that  one  rages  against.  It's  the 
same  in  politics.  Some  clear-headed  fellow  gets  up 
and  makes  a  just  law.  His  'enemies  and  his  friends 
alike  realize  that  if  the  law  isn't  passed  there  will  be 
a  roar  from  the  public.  So  they  pass  the  bill  with 
amendments.  In  other  words,  they  kill  its  use 
fulness.  I  suppose  that's  why  I  am  always  happy 
to  leave  convention  behind,  to  be  sent  to  the  middle 
of  Africa,  to  Patagonia,,  or  sign  an  agreement  to  go 
to  the  North  Pole." 

"The  North  Pole?  Have  you  been  to  the 
Arctic?" 

"  No ;  but  I  expect  to  go  up  in  June  with  an  Italian 
explorer." 

"  Isn't  it  terribly  lonely  up  there?  " 

"  It  can't  be  worse  than  the  Sahara  or  our  own 
Death  Valley.  One  extreme  is  as  bad  as  the  other. 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY 

Some  time  I  hope  your  father  will  take  me  along  on 
one  of  those  treasure  hunts.  I  should  like  to  be  in 
at  the  finding  of  a  pirate  ship.  It  would  make  a  boy 
out  of  me  again." 

His  eyes  were  very  handsome  when  he  smiled. 
Boy?  she  thought.  He  was  scarce  more  than  that 
now. 

"  Pirates'  gold !  What  a  lure  it  has  been,  is,  and 
will  be !  Blood  money,  brrr !  I  can  see  no  pleasure 
in  touching  it.  And  the  poor,  pathetic  trinkets, 
which  once  adorned  some  fair  neck!  It  takes  a 
man's  mind  to  pass  over  that  side  of  the  picture, 
and  see  only  the  fighting.  But  humanity  has  gone 
on.  The  pirate  is  no  more,  and  the  highwayman  is 
a  thing  to  laugh  at." 

"  Thanks  to  railways  and  steamships.  It  is 
beautiful  here." 

"  We  are  nearly  always  "here  in  the  summer.  In 
the  winter  we  cruise.  But  this  winter  we  remained 
at  home.  It  was  splendid.  The  snow  was  deep, 
and  often  I  joined  the  village  children  on  their  bob 
sleds.  I  made  father  ride  down  once.  He  grum 
bled  about  making  a  fool  of  himself.  After  the 


ii8  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

first  slide,  I  couldn't  keep  him  off  the  hill.  He  wants 
to  go  to  St.  Moritz  next  winter."  She  laughed 
joyously. 

"  I  shall  take  the  Arctic  trip,"  he  said  to  himself 
irrelevantly. 

"  Let  us  go  and  pick  some  apple  blossoms.  They 
last  such  a  little  while,  and  they  are  so  pretty  on  the 
table.  So  you  were  in  Napoleon's  tomb  that  day? 
I  have  cried  over  the  king  of  Rome's  toys.  Did 
Mr.  Breitmann  receive  those  scars  in  battle  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no.  It  was  a  phase  of  his  student  life  in 
Munich.  But  he  has  been  under  fire.  He  has  had 
some  hard  luck."  He  wanted  to  add :  "  Poor 
devil!" 

She  did  not  reply,  but  walked  down  the  terrace 
steps  to  the  path  leading  to  the  orchard.  The 
sturdy,  warty  old  trees  leaned  toward  the  west,  the 
single  evidence  of  the  years  of  punishment  received 
at  the  hands  of  the  winter  sea  tempests.  It  was  a 
real  orchard,  composed  of  several  hundred  trees, 
well  kept,  as  evenly  matched  as  might  be,  out  of 
weedless  ground.  From  some  hidden  bough,  a 
robin  voiced  his  happiness,  and  yellowbirds  flew 
hither  and.  thither,  and  there  was  billing  and  cooing 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       119 

and  nesting.  Along  the  low  stone  wall  a  wee  chip 
munk  scampered. 

"  What  place  do  you  like  best  in  this  beautiful  old 
world  ?  "  she  asked,  drawing  down  a  snowy  bough. 
Some  of  the  blossoms  fell  and  lay  entrapped  in  her 
hair. 

"  This,"  he  answered  frankly.  She  met  his  gaze 
quickly,  and  with  suspicion.  His  face  was  smiling, 
but  not  so  his  eyes.  "  Wherever  I  am,  if  content, 
I  like  that  place  best.  And  I  am  content  here." 

"  You  fought  with  Greece?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  How  that  country  always  rouses  our  sympa 
thies!  Isn't  there  a  little  too  much  poetry  and  not 
enough  truth  about  it  ?  " 

"  There  is.  I  fought  with  the  Greeks  because  I 
disliked  them  less  than  the  Turks." 

"And  Mr.  Breitmann?" 

He  smiled.  "  He  fought  with  the  Turks  to 
chastise  Greece,  which  he  loves." 

"  What  adventures  you  two  must  have  had !  To 
be  on  opposing  sides,  like  that !  " 

"  Opposing  newspapers.  The  two  angles  of 
vision  made  our  copy  interesting.  There  was  really 


120  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

no  romance  about  it.  It  was  purely  a  business 
transaction.  We  offered  our  lives  and  our  pencils 
for  a  hundred  a  week  and  our  expenses.  Rather  sor 
did  side  to  it,  eh?  And  a  fourth-rate  order  or 
two—" 

"  You  were  decorated  ?  "  excitedly.  "  I  am  sure 
it  was  for  bravery." 

"  Don't  you  believe  it.  The  king  of  Greece  and 
the  sultan  both  considered  the  honor  conferred  upon 
us  as  good  advertising." 

"You  are  laughing." 

"  Well,  war  in  the  Balkans  is  generally  a  laughing 
matter.  Sounds  brutal,  I  know,  but  it  is  true." 

"  I  know,"  gaily.  "  You  are  conceited,  and  are 
trying  to  make  me  believe  that  you  are  modest." 

"A  bull's-eye!" 

"  And  this  Mr.  Breitmann  has  been  decorated 
for  valor  ?  And  yet  to-day  he  becomes  my  father's 
private  secretary.  The  two  do  not  connect." 

"  May  I  ask  you  to  mention  nothing  of  this  to 
him?  It  would  embarrass  him.  I  had  no  business 
to  bring  him  into  it." 

She  grew  meditative,  brushing  her  lips  with  the 
blossoms.  "  He  will  be  something  of  a  mystery. 


SOME  BIRDS  IN  A  CHIMNEY       121 

I  am  not  overfond  of  mysteries  outside  of  book 
covers." 

"  There  is  really  no  mystery ;  but  it  is  human  for 
a  man  in  his  position  to  wish  to  bury  his  past  great 
ness." 

By  and  by  the  sun  touched  the  southwest  shoul 
der  of  the  hill,  and  the  two  strolled  back  to  the 
house. 

From  his  window,  Breitmann  could  see  them 
plainly. 

"  Damn  those  scars !  "  he  murmured,  striking  with 
his  fist  the  disfigured  cheek,  which  upon  a  time  had 
been  a  source  of  pride  and  honor.  "  Damn  them !  " 


CHAPTER  IX 

THEY   DRESS   FOR   DINNER 

BREITMANN  watched  them  as  long  as  he 
could.  There  was  no  jealousy  in  his  heart, 
but  there  was  bitterness,  discontent,  a  savage 
self-pillorying.  He  was  genuinely  sorry  that  this 
young  woman  was  so  pretty;  still,  had  she  the 
graces  of  Calypso,  he  must  have  come.  She  would 
distract  him,  and  he  desired  at  that  time  distraction 
least  of  all  diversions.  Concentration  and  single 
ness  of  purpose  —  upon  these  two  attributes  prac 
tically  hung  his  life.  How  strangely  fate  had 
stepped  with  him.  What  if  there  had  not  been  that 
advertisement  for  a  private  secretary?  How  then 
should  he  have  gained  a  footing  in  this  house? 
Well,  here  he  was,  and  speculation  was  of  no  value, 
save  in  a  congratulatory  sense.  The  fly  in  the 
amber  was  the  presence  of  the  young  American; 

122 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         123 

Fitzgerald,  shrewd  and  clever,  might  stumble  upon 
something.     Well,  till  against  that  time! 

His  room  was  pleasant,  a  corner  which  gave  two 
excellent  views,  one  of  the  sea  and  the  other  of  the 
orchard.  There  was  no  cluttering  of  furniture;  it 
was  simple,  substantial,  decently  old.  On  the  plain 
walls  were  some  choice  paintings.  A  landscape  by 
Constable,  a  water  color  by  Fortuny,  and  a  rough 
sketch  by  Detaille;  and  the  inevitable  marines,  such 
as  one  might  expect  in  the  house  of  a  fighting  sailor. 
He  examined  these  closely,  and  was  rather  pleased 
to  find  them  valuable  old  prints.  And,  better  to  his 
mind  than  all  these,  was  the  deft,  mysterious  touch 
or  suggestion  of  a  woman's  hand.  He  saw  it  in 
the  pillows  on  the  lounge,  in  the  curtains  dropping 
from  the  windows,  in  the  counterpane  on  the  old 
four-poster. 

Did  Americans  usually  house  their  private  secre 
taries  in  rooms  fit  for  guests  of  long  and  intimate 
acquaintance  ?  Ah,  yes ;  this  sailor  was  a  rich  man ; 
and  this  mansion  had  not  been  erected  yesterday. 
It  amused  him  to  think  that  these  walls  and  richly 
polished  floors  were  older  than  the  French  revolu 
tion.  It  seemed  incredible,  but  it  was  true. 


124  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Pirates ! "  His  laughter  broke  forth,  not 
loudly  but  deeply,  fired  by  a  broad  and  ready  sense 
of  humor  —  a  perilous  gift  for  a  man  who  is 
seeking  fine  hazards.  It  was  droll,  it  was  even 
fantastic.  To  cruise  about  the  world  in  search  of 
pirate  treasures,  as  if  there  remained  a  single  isle, 
shore,  promontory,  known  to  have  been  the  haunt 
of  pirates,  which  had  not  been  dug  up  and  dug  up 
again!  And  here,  under  the  very  hand —  He 
struck  his  palms.  "  Why  not  ?  " 

He  ran  to  the  window.  The  sleek  white  yacht 
lay  tugging  at  her  cables,  like  an  eager  hound  in 
the  leash.  "  Seaworthy  from  stem  to  stern.  Why 
not?  No  better  cloak  than  this.  I  may  not  make 
you  a  good  secretary,  admiral;  but,  the  gods  pro 
pitious,  I  can,  if  needs  say  must,  take  you  treasure 
hunting.  It  will  be  a  fine  stroke.  Is  it  possible 
that  fortune  begins  to  smile  on  me  at  last?  Well, 
I  have  had  the  patience  to  wait.  The  hour  has 
come,  and  fortune  shall  not  find  me  laggard.  It  has 
been  something  to  wait  as  I  have,  never  to  have 
spoken,  never  to  have  forgotten.  France  knows 
and  Germany  knows,  but  only  me,  not  what  I  have. 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         125 

They  have  even  tried  to  drive  me  to  crime.  Wait, 
fools,  wait ! " 

He  drew  his  arms  tightly  over  his  heaving  breast, 
for  he  was  deeply  moved,  while  over  his  face  came 
that  indefinable  light  which,  at  times,  illuminates  the 
countenance  of  a  great  man.  It  came  and  went ;  as 
a  flash  of  lightning  betrays  trie  oncoming  storm. 

The  chimney !  His  heart  missed  a  beat.  He  had 
forgotten  the  chimney.  The  reaction  affected  him 
like  a  blow.  A  snarl  twisted  his  mouth.  What  was 
this  chimney  to  any  other  man?  Only  he  of  all 
men,  knew.  And  yet,  here  was  some  one  stealthily 
at  work,  forestalling  him,  knocking  the  bottom  out 
of  his  great  dream.  There  was  nothing  pleasant  in 
the  growing  expression  in  his  face ;  it  was  the  tiger, 
waking.  There  could  be  only  one  way. 

Swiftly  he  dashed  to  his  trunk,  knelt  and  ex 
amined  the  lock,  unscrewed  it,  and  took  out  the 
documents  more  precious  to  him  than  the  treasures 
of  a  hundred  Captain  Kidds.  Instantly,  he  re 
turned  to  the  window.  Nothing  was  missing.  But 
here  was  something  he  had  never  noticed  before. 
On  the  face  of  the  slip  of  parchment  —  a  diagram, 


126  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

dim  and  faded  —  was  an  oily  thumb-mark.  The 
oil  from  the  lock;  nothing  more;  doubtless  he  him 
self  had  touched  it.  How  many  times  had  he 
found  an  unknown  touch  among  his  few  belongings  ? 
How  often  had  he  smiled?  Still,  to  quell  all  rising 
doubts,  he  rubbed  his  right  thumb  on  the  lock,  and 
made  a  second  impression.  The  daylight  was  now 
insufficient,  so  he  turned  on  the  electricity,  and  com 
pared  them.  Slowly,  the  scars  deepened  till  they 
were  the  tint  of  cedar.  Death's  head  itself  could 
not  have  fascinated  him  more  than  the  dissimilarity 
of  these  two  thumb-prints.  He  said  nothing,  but  a 
queer  little  strangling  sound  came  through  his 
lips. 

Who?  Where?  His  heart  beat  so  violently  that 
the  veins  in  his  throat  swelled  and  threatened  to 
burst.  But  he  was  no  weakling.  He  summoned  all 
his  will.  He  must  act,  and  act  at  once,  immediately. 
Fitzgerald?  No,  not  that  clever,  idling  fopl.  But 
who,  who?  He  replaced  the  papers  and  the  lock. 
A  hidden  menace.  Question  as  he  would,  there  was 
never  any  answer. 

He  practised  the  pleasant  deceit  that  the  first 
mark  had  been  there  when  the  diagram  had  been 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         127 

given  to  him.  It  was  not  possible  that  any  one  had 
discovered  his  hiding-place.  Had  he  not  with  his 
own  hands  contrived  it,  alone  and  without  aid, 
under  that  accursed  mansard  roof?  Not  one  of  his 
co-adventurers  knew ;  they  had  advanced  him  funds 
on  his  word.  His  other  documents  they  had  seen; 
these  had  sufficed  them.  Still,  back  it  came,  with 
deadly  insistence;  some  one  was  digging  at  the 
bricks  in  the  chimney.  The  drama  was  beginning 
to  move.  Had  he  waited  too  long? 

Mechanically,  he  proceeded  to  dress  for  dinner. 
Since  he  was  to  sit  at  the  family  table,  he  must  fit 
his  dress  and  manners  to  the  hour.  He  did  not  re 
sist  the  sardonic  smile  as  he  put  on  his  fresh  patent 
leathers  and  his  new  dinner  coat.  He  recalled  Fitz 
gerald's  half-concealed  glances  of  pity  the  last  time 
they  had  dined  together. 

In  the  room  across  the  corridor,  Fitzgerald  was 
busy  with  a  similar  occupation.  The  only  real 
worry  he  had  was  the  doubt  of  his  luggage  arriving 
before  he  left.  He  had  neither  tennis  clothes  nor 
riding-habit,  and  these  two  pastimes  were  here 
among  the  regular  events  of  the  day.  The  admiral 
both  played  and  rode  with  his  daughter.  She  was 


128  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

altogether  too  charming.  Had  she  been  an  ordinary 
society  girl,  he  would  have  stayed  his  welcome 
threadbare  perhaps.  But,  he  repeated,  she  was  not 
ordinary.  She  had  evidently  been  brought  up  with 
few  illusions.  These  she  possessed  would  always 
be  hers. 

The  world,  in  a  kindly  but  mistaken  spirit,  fosters 
all  sorts  of  beliefs  in  the  head  of  a  child.  True,  it 
makes  childhood  happy,  but  it  leaves  its  skin  ten 
der.  The  moment  a  girl  covers  her  slippers  with 
skirts  and  winds  her  hair  about  the  top  of  her  curi 
ous  young  head,  things  begin  to  jar.  The  men  are 
not  what  she  dreamed  them  to  be,  there  never  was 
such  a  person  as  Prince  Charming;  and  the  women 
embrace  her  —  if  she  is  pretty  and  graceful  —  with 
arms  bristling  with  needles  of  envy  and  malice ;  and 
the  rosal  tint  that  she  saw  in  the  approach  is  noth 
ing  more  or  less  than  jaundice;  and,  one  day  dis 
heartened  and  bewildered,  she  learns  that  the  world 
is  only  a  jumble  of  futile,  ill-made  things.  The 
admiral  had  weeded  out  most  of  these  illusions  at 
the  start. 

"  So  much  for  suppositions  and  analysis,"  panted 
Fitzgerald,  reknotting  his  silk  tie.  "  As  for  me,  I 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         329 

go  to  the  Arctic;  cold,  but  safe.  I  have  never 
fallen  in  love.  I  have  enjoyed  the  society  of  many 
women,  and  to  some  I've  been  silly  enough  to  write, 
but  I  have  never  been  maudlin.  I'm  no  fool.  This 
is  the  place  where  it  would  be  most  likely  to  happen. 
Let  us  beat  an  orderly  retreat.  What  the  devil  ails 
my  fingers  to-night?  M'h!  There;  will  you  stay 
tied  as  I  want  you?  She  has  traveled,  she  has 
studied,  she  is  at  home  with  grand  dukes  in  Nice, 
and  scribblers  in  a  country  village.  She  is  wise 
without  being  solemn.  She  has  courage,  too,  or  I 
should  not  be  here  on  a  mere  fluke.  Now,  my  boy, 
you  have  given  yourself  due  notice.  Take  care!  " 

He  slipped  his  coat  over  his  shoulders  —  and 
passably  sturdy  ones  they  were  —  and  took  a  final 
look  into  the  glass.  Not  for  vanity's  sake;  some 
times  a  man's  tie  will  show  above  the  collar  of  his 
coat. 

"  Hm !  I'll  wager  the  trout  are  rising  about  this 
time."  He  imitated  a  cast  which  was  supposed  to 
land  neatly  in  the  corner.  "  Ha !  Struck  you  that 
time,  you  beauty!  "  All  of  which  proved  to  him 
self,  conclusively,  that  he  was  in  normal  condition. 
"  I  should  get  a  wire  to-morrow  about  Breitmann. 


130  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

I  hate  to  do  anything  that  looks  underhand,  but  he 
puzzles  me.  There  was  something  about  the  chim 
ney  to-day;  I  don't  know  what.  This  is  no  place 
for  him  ^—  nor  for  me,  either,"  was  the  shrewd  sup 
plement. 

There  was  still  some  time  before  dinner,  so  he 
walked  about,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  and 
viewed  the  four  walls  of  his  room.  He  examined 
the  paints  and  admired  the  collection  of  blood 
thirsty  old  weapons  over  the  mantel,  but  with  the 
indirect  interest  of  a  man  who  is  thinking  of  other 
things.  At  the  end,  he  paused  before  the  window, 
which,  like  the  one  in  Breitmann's  room,  afforded 
a  clear  outlook  to  the  open  waters.  Night  was 
already  mistress  of  the  sea;  and  below,  the  village 
lights  twinkled  from  various  points. 

Laura  tried  on  three  gowns,  to  the  very  great 
surprise  of  her  maid.  Usually  her  mistress  told 
her  in  the  morning  what  to  lay  out  for  dinner. 
Here  there  were  two  fine-looking  young  men  about, 
and  yet  she  was  for  selecting  the  simplest  gown  of 
the  three.  The  little  French  maid  did  not  under 
stand  the  reason,  nor  at  that  moment  could  her 
mistress  have  readily  explained.  It  was  easy  to 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         131 

dress  for  the  critical  eyes  of  rich  young  men,  offi 
cers,  gentlemen  with  titles;  all  that  was  required 
was  a  fresh  Parisian  model,  some  jewels,  and  a 
bundle  of  orchids  or  expensive  roses.  But  these 
two  men  belonged  to  a  class  she  knew  little  of; 
gentlemen  adventurers,  who  had  been  in  strange, 
unfrequented  places,  who  had  helped  to  make  his 
tory,  who  received  decorations,  and  never  wore 
them,  who  remained  to  the  world  at  large  obscure 
and  unknown. 

So,  with  that  keen  insight  which  is  a  part  of  a 
well-bred,  intelligent  woman  —  and  also  rather  in 
explicable  to  the  male  understanding  —  she  chose 
the  simplest  gown.  She  was  hazily  conscious  that 
they  would  notice  this  dress,  whereas  the  gleaming 
satin  would  have  passed  as  a  matter  of  fact.  Round 
her  graceful  throat  she  placed  an  Indian  turquoise 
necklace ;  nothing  in  her  hair,  nothing  on  her  fingers. 
She  went  down-stairs  perfectly  content. 

As  she  came  into  the  hall,  she  heard  soft  music. 
Some  one  was  in  the  music-room,  which  was  just 
off  the  library.  She  stopped  to  listen.  Chopin, 
with  light  touch  and  tender  feeling.  Which  of  the 
two  wanderers  was  it?  Quietly,  she  moved  along 


132  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

to  the  door.  Breitmann;  she  rather  expected  to 
find  him.  Nearly  all  educated  Germans  played. 
The  music  stopped  for  a  moment,  then  resumed. 
Another  melody  followed,  a  melody  she  had  heard 
from  one  end  of  France  to  the  other.  She  frowned, 
not  with  displeasure,  but  with  puzzlement.  For 
what  purpose  did  a  soldier  of  the  German  empire 
play  the  battle  hymn  of  the  French  republic?  The 
Marsellaise!  She  entered  the  music-room,  and  the 
low  but  vibrant  chords  ceased  instantly.  Breit 
mann  had  been  playing  these  melodies  standing. 
He  turned  quickly. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  but  perfectly 
free  from  embarrassment. 

"  I  am  very  fond  of  music  myself.  Please  play 
whenever  the  mood  comes  to  you.  The  Marsel 
laise  — " 

"  Ah !  "  He  interrupted,  laughing.  "  There  was 
a  bit  of  traitor  in  my  fingers  just  then.  But  music 
should  have  no  country;  it  should  be  universal." 

"Perhaps,  generally  speaking;  but  (every  land 
should  have  an  anthem  of  its  own.  The  greatest 
composition  of  Beethoven  or  Wagner  will  never 
touch  the  heart  as  the  ripple  of  a  battle  song." 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         133 

And  when  Fitzgerald  joined  them  they  were  ser 
iously  discussing  Wagner  and  his  ill-treatment  in 
Munich,  and  of  the  mad  king  of  Bavaria. 

As  she  had  planned,  both  men  noticed  the  sim 
plicity  of  her  dress. 

"  It  is  because  she  doesn't  care,"  thought  Breit- 
mann. 

"  It  is  because  she  knows  we  don't  care,"  thought 
Fitzgerald.  And  he  was  nearer  the  truth  than 
Breitmann. 

The  dinner  was  pleasant,  and  there  was  much 
talk  of  travel.  The  admiral  had  touched  nearly 
every  port,  Fitzgerald  had  been  round  three  times, 
and  Breitmann  four.  The  girl  experienced  a  sense 
of  elation  as  she  listened.  She  knew  most  of  her 
father's  stories,  but  to-night  he  drew  upon  a  half- 
forgotten  store.  Without  embellishment,  as  if  they 
were  ordinary,  every-day  affairs,  they  exchanged 
tales  of  adventure  in  strange  island  wildernesses; 
and  there  were  lion  hunts  and  man  hunts  and  fierce 
battles  on  land  and  sea.  Never  had  any  story-book 
opened  a  like  world.  She  felt  a  longing  for  the 
Himalayas,  the  Indian  jungles,  the  low-lying  islands 
of  the  South  Pacific. 


134  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

So  far  as  the  admiral  was  concerned,  he  was 
very  well  pleased  with  the  new  secretary. 

Fitzgerald  was  not  asleep.  He  had  an  idea, 
and  he  smoked  his  yellow  African  gourd  pipe  till 
this  same  idea  shaped  itself  into  the  form  of  a  re 
solve.  He  laid  the  pipe  on  the  mantel,  turned  over 
the  logs  —  for  the  nights  were  yet  chill,  and  a  fire 
was  a  comfort  —  and  raised  a  window.  He  would 
like  to  hear  some  of  that  tapping  in  the  chimney. 
He  was  fully  dressed,  excepting  that  he  had  ex 
changed  shoes  for  slippers. 

He  went  out  into  the  corridor.  There  was  no 
light  under  Breitmann's  door.  So  much  the  better ; 
he  was  asleep.  Fitzgerald  crept  down  the  stairs 
with  the  caution  of  a  hunter  who  is  trailing  new 
game.  As  he  arrived  at  the  turn  of  the  first  landing, 
he  hesitated.  He  could  hear  the  old  clock  striking 
off  the  seconds  in  the  lower  hall.  He  cupped  his 
ear.  By  George!  Joining  the  sharp  monotony 
of  the  clock  was  another  sound,  softer,  intermittent. 
He  was  certain  that  it  came  from  the  library.  That 
door  was  never  closed.  Click-click!  Click-click! 
The  mystery  was  close  at  hand. 


THEY  DRESS  FOR  DINNER         135 

He  moved  forward.  He  wanted  to  get  as  close 
as  possible  to  the  fireplace.  He  peered  in.  The 
fire  was  all  but  dead;  only  the  corner  of  a  log 
glowed  dully.  Suddenly,  the  glow  died,  only  to 
reappear,  unchanged.  This  phenomena  could  be 
due  to  one  thing,  a  passing  of  something  opaque. 
Fitzgerald  had  often  seen  this  in  camps,  when  some 
one's  legs  passed  between  him  and  the  fire.  Some 
one  else  was  in  the  room.  With  a  light  bound,  he 
leaped  forward,  to  find  himself  locked  in  a  pair  of 
arms  no  less  vigorous  than  his  own. 

And  even  in  that  lively  moment  he  remembered 
that  the  sound  in  the  chimney  went  on ! 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   GHOST   OF   AN    OLD   REGIME 

IT  was  a  quick,  silent  struggle.  The  intruder 
wore  no  shoes.  It  would  be  a  test  of  endurance. 
Fitzgerald  recalled  some  tricks  he  had  learned  in 
Japan;  but  even  as  he  stretched  out  his  arm  to  per 
form  one,  the  arm  was  caught  by  the  wrist,  while 
a  second  hand  passed  under  his  elbow. 

"Don't!"    he    gasped    lowly.     "I'll    give    in." 
His  arm  would  have  snapped  if  he  hadn't  spoken. 

A   muttered   oath  in   German.     "Fitzgerald?" 
came  the  query,  in  a  whisper. 

:<  Yes.     For    God's    sake,    is    this    you,    Breit- 
mann  ?  " 

"  Sh !     Not    so    loud !     What    are    you    doing 
here?" 

"  And  you'?  " 

"Listen!    It  has  stopped.     He  has  heard  our 
scuffling." 

136 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME     137 

"  It  seems,  then,  that  we  are  both  here  for  the 
same  purpose?"  said  Fitzgerald,  pulling  down  his 
cuffs,  and  running  his  fingers  round  his  collar. 

"  Yes.  You  came  too  late  or  too  soon."  Breit- 
mann  stooped,  and  ran  his  hands  over  the  rug. 

The  other  saw  him  but  dimly.  "  What's  the 
matter?" 

"  I  have  lost  one  of  my  studs,"  with  the  frugal 
spirit  of  his  mother's  forebears.  "  You  are 
stronger  than  I  thought." 

"  Much  obliged." 

"  It's  a  good  thing  you  did  not  get  that  hold  first. 
You'd  have  broken  my  arm." 

"  Wouldn't  have  given  in,  eh  ?  I  simply  cried 
quits  in  order  to  start  over  again.  There's  no  fair 
fighting  in  the  dark,  you  know." 

"  Well,  we  have  frightened  him  away.  It  is  too 
bad." 

"  What  Have  you  on  your  feet  ? " 

"  Felt  slippers." 

"Are  you  afraid  of  the  cold?  " 

rA  laugh.     "Not  I!" 

"  Come  with  me." 

"Where?" 


138  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  First  to  the  cellar.  Remember  that  hot-air 
box  from  the  furnace,  that  backs  the  chimney,  way 
up?" 

"  I  looked  only  at  the  bricks." 

"  We'll  go  and  have  a  look  at  that  box.  It  just 
occurred  to  me  that  there  is  a  cellar  window  within 
two  feet  of  that  box." 

"  Let  us  hurry.     Can  you  find  the  way?  " 

"  I  can  try." 

"But  lights?" 

Fitzgerald  exhibited  his  electric  pocket  lamp. 
"  This  will  do." 

"  You  Americans !  " 

After  some  mistakes  they  found  their  way  to  the 
cellar.  The  window  was  closed,  but  not  locked, 
and  resting  against  the  wall  was  a  plank.  It  leaned 
obliquely,  as  if  left  in  a  hurry.  Fitzgerald  took  it 
up,  and  bridged  between  the  box  and  the  window 
ledge.  Breitmann  gave  him  a  leg  up,  and  in  an 
other  moment  he  was  examining  the  brick  wall  of 
the  great  chimney  under  a  circular  white  patch  of 
light.  A  dozen  rows  of  bricks  had  been  cleverly 
loosened.  There  were  also  evidences  of  chalk 
marks,  something  on  the  order  of  a  diagram;  but 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME     139 

it  was  rather  uncertain,  as  it  had  been  redrawn  four 
or  five  times.  The  man  hadn't  been  sure  of  his 
ground. 

"  Can  you  see?  "  asked  Fitzgerald. 

"  Yes."  Only  Breitmann  himself  knew  what 
wild  rage  lay  back  of  that  monosyllable.  He  was 
sure  now ;  that  diagram  brushed  away  any  lingering 
doubt.  The  lock  had  been  trifled  with,  but  the  man 
who  had  done  the  work  had  not  been  sure  of  his 
dimensions. 

"  Clever  piece  of  work.  Took  away  the  mortar 
in  his  pockets;  no  sign  of  it  here.  The  admiral  had 
better  send  for  his  bricklayer,  for  more  reasons  than 
one.  There'll  be  a  defective  flue  presently.  Now, 
what  the  devil  is  the  duffer  expecting  to  find  ? " 
Fitzgerald  coolly  turned  the  light  full  into  the 
other's  face. 

"  It  is  beyond  me,"  with  equal  coolness ;  "  unless 
there's  a  pirate's  treasure  behind  there."  The  eyes 
blinked  a  little,  which  was  but  natural. 

"  Pirate's  treasure,  you  say?  "  Fitzgerald  laughed. 
"  That  would  be  a  joke,  eh?  " 

"What  now?"  For  Breitmann  thought  it  best 
to  leave  the  initiative  with  his  friend. 


140  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  A  little  run  out  to  the  stables,"  recalling  to  mind 
the  rumor  of  the  night  before. 

"The  stables?" 

"  Why,  surely.  The  fellow  never  got  in  here 
without  some  local  assistance,  and  I  am  rather  cer 
tain  that  this  comes  from  the  stables.  Besides,  no 
one  will  be  expecting  us."  He  came  down  agilely. 

Breitmann  nodded  approvingly  at  the  ease  with 
which  the  other  made  the  descent.  "  It  would  be 
wiser  to  leave  the  cellar  by  the  window,"  he  sug 
gested. 

"  My  idea,  too.  We'll  make  a  step  out  of  this 
board.  The  stars  are  bright  enough."  Fitzgerald 
climbed  out  first,  and  then  gave  a  hand  to  Breit 
mann. 

"  I  understood  there  was  a  burglar  alarm  in  the 
house." 

"  Yes ;  but  this  very  window,  being  open,  prob 
ably  breaks  the  circuit.  All  cleverly  planned.  But 
I'm  crazy  to  learn  what  he  is  looking  for.  Double 
your  coat  over  your  white  shirt." 

Breitmann  was  already  proceeding  with  this  task. 
A  dog-trot  brought  them  into  the  roadway,  but  they 
kept  to  the  grass.  They  were  within  a  yard  of  the 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME     141 

stable  doors  when  a  hound  began  bellowing.  Breit- 
mann  smothered  a  laugh  and  Fitzgerald  a  curse. 

"  The  quicker  we  get  back  to  the  cellar  the  bet 
ter,"  was  the  former's  observation. 

And  they  returned  at  a  clip,  scrambling  into  the 
cellar  as  quickly  and  silently  as  they  could,  and 
made  for  the  upper  floors. 

"Come  into  my  room,"  said  Fitzgerald;  "it's 
only  midnight." 

Breitmann  agreed.  If  he  had  any  reluctance,  he 
did  not  show  it.  Fitzgerald  produced  cigars. 

"  Do  my  clothes  look  anything  like  yours  ? " 
asked  Breitmann  dryly,  striking  a  match. 

"  Possibly." 

They  looked  themselves  over  for  any  real  dam 
age.  There  were  no  rents,  but  there  were  cobwebs 
on  the  wool  and  streaks  of  coal  dust  on  the  linen. 

"  We  shall  have  to  send  our  clothes  to  the  village 
tailor.  The  admiral's  valet  might  think  it  odd." 

"Where  do  you  suppose  he  comes  from?" 

"  I  don't  care  where.  What's  he  after,  to  take 
all  this  trouble?  Something  big,  I'll  warrant." 

And  then,  for  a  time,  they  smoked  like  Turks, 
in  silence. 


142  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  By  George,  it's  a  good  joke ;  you  and  I  trying 
to  choke  each  other,  while  the  real  burglar  makes 
off." 

"  It  has  some  droll  sides." 

"  And  you  all  but  broke  my  arm." 

Breitmann  chuckled.  "  You  were  making  the 
same  move.  I  was  quicker,  that  was  all." 

Another  pause. 

"  The  admiral  has  seen  some  odd  corners. 
Think  of  seeing,  at  close  range,  the  Japanese- 
Chinese  naval  fight !  " 

"  He  tells  a  story  well." 

"  And  the  daughter  is  a  thoroughbred." 

"  Yes,"  non-committally. 

"  By  the  way,  I'm  going  to  the  Pole  in  June  or 
August." 

"  The  Italian  expedition  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  That  ought  to  make  fine  copy.  You  will  not 
mind  if  I  turn  in?  A  bit  sleepy." 

"  Not  at  all.     Shall  we  tell  the  admiral  ?  " 

"The  first  thing  in  the  morning.     Good  night." 

Fitzgerald  finished  his  cigar,  and  went  to  bed 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME'   143 

also.  "  Intersting  old  place,"  wadding  a  pillow 
under  his  ear.  "  More  interesting  to-morrow." 

Some  time  earlier,  the  individual  who  was  the 
cause  of  this  nocturnal  exploit  hurried  down  the 
hill,  nursing  a  pair  of  skinned  palms,  and  laughing 
gently  to  himself. 

"  Checkmate !     I  shall  try  the  other  way." 

On  the  morrow,  Fitzgerald  recounted  the  adven 
ture  in  a  semi-humorous  fashion,  making  a  brisk 
melodrama  out  of  it,  to  the  quiet  amusement  of  his 
small  audience. 

"  I  shall  send  for  the  mason  this  morning,"  said 
the  admiral.  "  I've  been  dreaming  of  The  Black 
Cat  and  all  sorts  of  horrible  things.  I  hate  like 
sixty  to  spoil  the  old  chimney,  but  we  can't  have 
this  going  on.  We'll  have  it  down  at  once.  A  fire 
these  days  is  only  a  nice  touch  to  the  mahogany." 

"  But  you  must  tell  him  to  put  back  every  brick 
in  its  place,"  said  Laura.  "  I  could  not  bear  to  have 
anything  happen  to  that  chimney.  All  the  same,  I 
am  glad  the  matter  is  going  to  be  cleared  up.  It  has 
been  nerve-racking ;  and  I  have  been  all  alone,  wait 
ing  for  I  know  not  what." 


144  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  You  haven't  been  afraid  ?  "  said  Fitzgerald. 

"  I'm  not  sure  that  I  haven't."     She  sighed. 

"  Nonsense !  "  cried  the  admiral. 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  anything  I  can  see;  but  I  do 
not  like  the  dark;  I  do  not  like  mysteries." 

"  You're  the  bravest  girl  I  know,  Laura,"  her 
father  declared.  "  Now,  Mr.  Breitmann,  if  you 
don't  mind." 

"  Shall  we  begin  at  once,  sir?  " 

"  You  will  copy  some  of  my  notes,  to  begin  with. 
Any  time  you're  in  doubt  over  a  word,  speak  to  me. 
There  will  not  be  much  outside  of  manuscript  work. 
Most  of  my  mail  is  sorted  at  my  bankers,  and  only 
important  letters  forwarded.  There  may  be  a  so 
cial  note  occasionally.  Do  you  read  and  write 
English  as  well  as  you  speak  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes." 

Laura  invited  Fitzgerald  to  the  tennis  court. 

"  In  these  shoes  ?  "  he  protested. 

"  They  will  not  matter;  it  is  a  cement  court." 

"  But  I  shan't  look  the  game.  Tennis  without 
flannels  is  like  duck  without  apples." 

"  Bother !     We'll  play  till  the  mason  comes  up. 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME     145 

And  mind  your  game.  I've  been  runner-up  in  a 
dozen  tournaments." 

And  he  soon  found  that  she  had  not  overrated  her 
skill.  She  served  strongly,  volleyed  beautifully, 
and  darted  across  the  court  with  a  fleetness  and  a 
surety  both  delightful  to  observe.  So  interested 
were  they  in  the  battle  that  they  forgot  all  about  the 
mason,  till  the  butler  came  out,  and  announced  that 
the  desecration  had  begun. 

In  fact  the  broad  marble  top  was  on  the  floor, 
and  the  room  full  of  impalpable  dust.  The  admiral 
and  the  secretary  were  gravely  stacking  the  bricks, 
one  by  one,  as  they  came  out. 

"Found  anything?"  asked  the  girl  breathlessly. 

"  Not  yet ;  but  Mr.  Donovan  here  has  just  dis 
covered  a  hollow  space  above  the  mantel  line." 
The  admiral  sneezed. 

Mr.  Donovan,  in  his  usual  free  and  happy  way, 
drew  out  two  bricks,  and  dropped  them  on  the  pol 
ished  floor. 

"  There's  your  holler,  sir,"  he  said,  dusting  his 
hands. 

Unbidden,  Breitmann  pushed  his  hand  into  the 


146  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

cavity.  His  arm  went  down  to  the  elbow,  and  he 
was  forced  to  stand  on  tiptoe.  He  was  pale  when 
he  withdrew  his  arm,  but  in  his  hand  was  a  square 
metal  case,  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  cigar  box. 

"By  cracky!  What's  the  matter,  Mr.  Breit- 
mann?"  The  admiral  stepped  forward  solicit 
ously. 

Breitmann  swayed,  and  fell  against  the  side  of 
the  fireplace.  "  It  is  nothing ;  lost  my  balance  for  a 
moment  Will  you  open  it,  sir  ?  " 

"  Lost  his  balance?  "  muttered  Fitzgerald.  "  He 
looks  groggy.  Why  ?  " 

This  was  not  a  time  for  speculation.  All  rushed 
after  the  admiral,  who  laid  the  case  on  his  desk,  and 
took  out  his  keys.  None  of  them  would  turn  in  the 
ancient  lock.  With  an  impatient  gesture,  which  es 
caped  the  others,  the  secretary  seized  Mr.  Dono 
van's  hamrrier,  inserted  the  claw  between  the  lock 
and  the  catch,  and  gave  a  powerful  wrench.  The 
lid  fell  back,  crooked  and  scarred. 

The  admiral  put  on  his  Mandarin  spectacles. 
With  his  hands  behind  his  back,  he  bent  and  crit 
ically  examined  the  contents.  Then,  very  carefully, 
he  extracted  a  packet  of  papers,  yellow  and  old, 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME     147 

bound  with  heavy  cording.  Beneath  this  packet 
was  a  medal  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  some  rose 
leaves,  and  a  small  glove. 

"  Know  what  I  think?  "  said  the  admiral,  stilling 
the  shake  in  his  voice.  "  This  belonged  to  that 
mysterious  Frenchman  who  lived  here  eighty  years 
ago.  I'll  wager  that  medal  cost  some  blood.  By 
cracky,  what  a  find !  " 

"  And  the  poor  little  glove  and  the  rose  leaves !  " 
murmured  the  girl,  in  pity.  "  It  seems  like  a  crime 
to  disturb  them." 

"  We  shan't,  my  child.  Our  midnight  friend 
wasn't  digging  yonder  for  faded  keepsakes.  These 
papers  are  the  things."  The  admiral  cut  the  string, 
and  opened  one  of  the  documents.  "  H'm !  Writ 
ten  in  French.  So  is  this,"  looking  at  another, 
"  and  this.  Here,  Laura,  cast  your  eye  over  these, 
and  tell  us  why  some  one  was  hunting  for  them." 

Fitzgerald  eyed  Breitmann  thoughtfully.  The 
whole  countenance  of  the  man  had  changed.  In 
deed,  it  resembled  another  face  he  had  seen  some 
where;  and  it  grew  in  his  mind,  slowly  but  surely, 
as  dawn  grows,  that  Breitmann  was  not  wholly  ig 
norant  in  this  affair.  He  had  not  known  who  had 


148  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

been  working  at  night;  but  that  dizziness  of  the 
moment  gone,  the  haste  in  opening  the  case,  the 
eagerness  of  the  search  last  night ;  all  these,  to  Fitz 
gerald's  mind,  pointed  to  one  thing:  Breitmann 
knew. 

"  I  shall  watch  him." 

Laura  read  the  documents  to  herself  first.  Here 
and  there  was  a  word  which  confused  her;  but  she 
gathered  the  full  sense  of  the  remarkable  story. 
Her  eyes  shone  like  winter  stars. 

"  Father !  "  she  cried,  dropping  the  papers,  and 
spreading  out  her  arms.  "  Father,  it's  the  greatest 
thing  in  the  world.  A  treasure !  " 

"  What's  that,  Laura  ?  "  straining  his  ears. 

"  A  treasure,  hidden  by  the  soldiers  of  Napoleon ; 
put  together,  franc  by  franc,  in  the  hope  of  some 
day  rescuing  the  emperor  from  St.  Helena.  It  is 
romance!  A  real  treasure  of  two  millions  of 
francs !  "  clapping  her  hands. 

"  Where  ?  "  It  was  Breitmann  who  spoke.  His 
voice  was  not  clear. 

"Corsica!" 

"Corsica!"  The  admiral  laughed  like  a  child. 
Right  under  his  very  nose  all  these  years,  and  he 


THE  GHOST  OF  AN  OLD  REGIME     149 

cruising  all  over  the  chart !  "  Laura,  dear,  there's 
no  reason  in  the  world  why  we  shouldn't  take  the 
yacht  and  go  and  dig  up  this  pretty  sum." 

"No  reason  in  the  world!"  But  the  secretary 
did  not  pronounce  these  words  aloud. 

"  A  telegram  for  you,  sir,"  said  the  butler,  hand 
ing  the  yellow  envelope  to  Fitzgerald. 

"  Will  you  pardon  me?  "  he  said  drawing  off  to  a 
window. 

"  Go  ahead,"  said  the  admiral,  fingering  the 
medal  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 

Fitzgerald  read : 

"  Have  made  inquiries.  Your  man  never  applied 
to  any  of  the  metropolitan  dailies.  Few  ever  heard 
of  him." 

He  jammed  the  message  into  a  pocket,  and  re 
turned  to  the  group  about  the  case.  Where  should 
he  begin?  Breitmann  had  lied. 


CHAPTER  XI 

PREPARATIONS  AND    COGITATIONS 

THE  story  itself  was  brief  enough,  but  there  was 
plenty  of  husk  to  the  grain.  The  old  expatri 
ate  was  querulous,  long-winded,  not  niggard  with 
his  ink  when  he  cursed  the  English  and  damned  the 
Prussians;  and  he  obtained  much  gratification  in 
jabbing  his  quill-bodkin  into  what  he  termed  the 
sniveling  nobility  of  the  old  regime.  Dog  of  dogs ! 
was  he  not  himself  noble?  Had  not  his  parents 
and  his  brothers  gone  to  the  guillotine  with  the  rest 
of  them?  But  he,  thank  God,  had  no  wooden 
mind ;  he  could  look  progress  and  change  in  the  face 
and  follow  their  bent.  And  now,  all  the  crimes  and 
heroisms  of  the  Revolution,  all  the  glorious  pagean 
try  of  the  empire,  had  come  to  nothing.  A  Bour 
bon,  thick-skulled,  sordid,  worn-out,  again  sat  upon 
the  throne,  while  the  Great  Man  languished  on  a 
rock  in  the  Atlantic.  Fools  that  they  had  been,  not 

150 


PREPARATIONS  151 

to  have  hidden  the  little  king  of  Rome  as  against 
this  very  dog!  It  was  pitiful.  He  never  saw  a 
shower  in  June  that  he  did  not  hail  curses  upon  it. 
To  have  lost  Waterloo  for  a  bucketful  of  water! 
Thousand  thunders!  could  he  ever  forget  that  ter 
rible  race  back  to  Paris?  Could  he  ever  forget  the 
shame  of  it?  Grouchy  for  a  fool  and  Bliicher  for  a 
blundering  ass.  Eh  blen;  they  would  soon  tumble 
the  Bourbons  into  oblivion  again. 

A  rambling  desultory  tale.  And  there  were  rem 
iniscences  of  such  and  such  a  great  lady's  salon;  the 
flight  from  Moscow;  the  day  of  the  Bastille;  the 
poor  fool  of  a  Louis  who  donned  a  red-bonnet  and 
wore  the  tricolor ;  some  new  opera  dances ;  the  flight 
of  his  cowardly  cousins  to  Austria;  Austerlitz  and 
Jena ;  the  mad  dream  in  Egypt ;  the  very  day  when 
the  Great  Man  pulled  a  crown  out  of  his  saddle-bag 
and  made  himself  an  emperor.  Just  a  little  cor 
poral  from  Corsica;  think  of  it!  And  so  on;  all 
jumbled  but  keyed  with  tremendous  interest  to  the 
listeners  and  to  Laura  herself.  It  was  the  golden 
age  of  opportunity,  of  reward,  of  sudden  generals 
and  princes  and  dukes.  All  gone,  nothing  left  but 
a  few  battle-flags;  England  no  longer  shaking  in 

«. 


152  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

her  boots,  and  the  rest  of  them  dividing  the  spoils ! 
No!  There  were  some  left,  and  in  their  hands  lay 
the  splendid  enterprise. 

Quietly  they  had  pieced  together  this  sum  and 
that,  till  there  was  now  stored  away  two-million 
francs.  Two  or  three  frigates  and  a  corvette  or 
two;  then  the  work  would  go  forward.  Only  a 
little  while  to  wait,  and  then  they  would  bring  their 
beloved  chief  back  to  France  and  to  his  own  again. 
Had  he  not  written :  "  Come  for  me,  mon  brave. 
They  say  they  have  orders  to  shoot  me.  Come; 
better  carry  my  corpse  away  than  that  I  should  rot 
here  for  years  to  come."  They  would  come.  But 
this  year  went  by  and  another;  one  by  one  the  Old 
Guard  died  off,  smaller  and  smaller  had  drawn  the 
circle.  The  vile  rock  called  St.  Helena  still  re 
mained  impregnable.  On  a  certain  day  they  came 
to  tell  him  that  the  emperor  was  no  more.  Soon 
he  was  all  alone  but  one;  these  brave  soldiers  who 
had  planned  with  him  were  no  more.  An  alien, 
an  outcast,  he  too  longed  for  night.  And  what 
should  he  do  with  it,  this  vast  treasure,  every  franc 
of  which  meant  sacrifice  and  unselfishness,  bravery 
and  loyalty  ?  Let  the  gold  rot.  He  would  bury  all 


PREPARATIONS  1153 

knowledge  of  it  in  yonder  chimney,  confident  that 
no  one  would  ever  find  the  treasure,  since  he  alone 
possessed  the  key  to  it,  having  buried  it  himself. 
So  passed  the  greatest  Caesar  of  them  all,  the  most 
brilliant  empire,  the  bravest  army.  Ah!  had  the 
king  of  Rome  lived!  Had  there  been  some  direct 
Napoleonic  blood  to  take  up  the  work!  Vain 
dreams!  The  Great  Man's  brothers  had  been 
knaves  and  fools. 

"  And  so  to-night,"  the  narrator  ended,  "  I  bury 
the  casket  in  the  chimney;  within  it,  my  hopes  and 
few  trinkets  of  the  past  of  which  I  am  an  integral 
part.  Good-by,  little  glove;  good-by,  brave  old 
medal!  I  am  sending  a  drawing  of  the  chimney  to 
the  good  Abbe  le  Fanu.  He  will  outlive  me.  He 
lives  on  forty-centime  the  day ;  treasures  mean  noth 
ing  to  him ;  his  cry,  his  eternal  cry,  is  always  of  the 
People.  He  will  probably  tear  it  up.  The  brig 
will  never  come  again.  So  best.  Death  will  come 
soon.  And  I  shall  die  unknown,  unloved,  forgot 
ten.  Bonne  nuit!" 

Mr.  Donovan  alone  remained  in  normal  state  of 
mind.  'Twas  all  faradiddle,  this  talk  of  finding 


154  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

treasures.  The  old  Frenchman  had  been  only  half- 
baked.  He  dumped  his  tools  into  his  bag,  and,  with 
the  wisdom  of  his  kind,  departed.  There  would  be 
another  job  to-morrow,  putting  the  bricks  back. 

The  others,  however,  were  for  the  time  but  chil 
dren,  and  like  children  they  all  talked  at  once;  and 
there  was  laughter  and  thumping  of  fists  and  clap 
ping  of  hands.  The  admiral  had  a  new  plan  every 
five  minutes.  He  would  do  this,  or  he  would  do 
that ;  and  Fitzgerald  would  shake  his  head,  or  Breit- 
mann  would  point  out  the  unfeasibility  of  the  plan. 
Above  all,  he  urged,  there  must  be  no  publicity 
(with  a  flash  toward  Fitzgerald)  ;  the  world  must 
know  nothing  till  the  treasure  was  in  their  hands. 
Otherwise,  there  would  surely  be  piracy  on  the  high- 
seas.  Two  million  francs  was  a  prize,  even  in  these 
days.  There  were  plenty  of  men  and  plenty  of 
tramp  ships.  Even  when  they  found  the  gold,  se 
crecy  would  be  best.  There  might  be  some  diffi 
culty  with  France.  Close  lips,  then,  till  they  re 
turned  to  America ;  after  that  Mr.  Fitzgerald  would 
become  famous  as  the  teller  of  the  exploit. 

"I  confess  that,  for  all  my  excitement,"  said 


PREPARATIONS  155 

Fitzgerald,  "  I  am  somewhat  skeptical.  Still,  your 
suggestion,  Mr.  Breitmann,  is  good." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  doubt  the  existence  of 
the  treasure  ? "  cried  the  admiral,  something  im 
patient. 

"  Oh,  no  doubt  it  once  existed.  But  seventy-five 
or  eighty  years!  There  were  others  besides  this 
refugee  Frenchman.  Who  knows  into  what  hands 
similar  documents  may  have  fallen  ?  " 

"  And  the  unknown  man  who  worked  in  the  chim 
ney  ?  "  put  in  the  girl  quietly. 

"  That  simply  proves  what  I  say.  He  knows 
that  this  treasure  once  existed,  but  not  where. 
Now,  it  is  perfectly  logical  that  some  other  man, 
years  ago,  might  have  discovered  the  same  key  as 
we  have.  He  may  have  got  away  with  it.  The 
man  might  have  plausibly  declared  that  he  had  made 
the  money  somewhere.  The  sum  is  not  so  large  as 
to  create  any  wide  comment." 

"  Ah,  my  boy,  your  father  had  more  enthusiasm 
than  that."  The  admiral  looked  reproachful. 

"  My  dear  admiral,"  and  Fitzgerald  laughed  in 
that  light-hearted  way  of  his,  "  I  would  go  into  the 


156  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

heart  of  China  on  a  treasure  hunt,  for  the  mere  fun 
of  it.  Enthusiasm?  Nothing  would  gratify  me 
more  than  to  strike  a  shovel  into  the  spot  where  this 
treasure,  this  pot  of  gold,  is  supposed  to  lie.  It 
will  be  great  sport;  nothing  like  it.  I  was  merely 
supposing.  I  have  never  heard  of,  or  come  into 
contact  with,  a  man  who  has  found  a  hidden  treas 
ure.  I  am  putting  up  these  doubts  because  we  are 
never  sure  of  anything.  Why,  Mr.  Breitmann 
knows;  isn't  it  more  fun  to  find  a  dollar  in  an  old 
suit  of  clothes  than  to  know  you  have  ten  in  the 
suit  you  are  wearing?  It's  not  how.  much,  it's  the 
finding  that  gives  the  pleasure." 

"That  is  true,"  echoed  Breitmann  generously. 
He  fingered  the  papers  with  a  touch  that  was  al 
most  a  caress.  "A  pity  that  you  will  go  to  the 
Arctic  instead." 

"  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  I  shall  go,"  replied 
Fitzgerald.  That  this  man  had  deliberately  lied  to 
him  rendered  him  indecisive.  For  the  present  he 
could  not  do  or  say  anything,  but  he  had  a  great 
desire  to  be  on  hand  to  watch. 

"  You  are  not  your  father's  son  if  you  r«fuse  to 


PREPARATIONS  157 

go  with  us ;  "  and  the  Admiral  sent  home  this  charge 
with  fist  against  palm. 

"  '  Pieces  of  eight !  Pieces  of  eight !  *  "  parroted 
the  girl  drolly.  "  You  will  go,  Mr.  Fitzgerald." 

"Do  you  really  want  me  to?"  cleverly  putting 
the  decision  with  her. 

"  Yes."     There  was  no  coquetry  in  voice  or  eye. 

"When  do  you  expect  to  go?"  Fitzgerald  put 
this  question  to  the  admiral. 

"As  soon  as  we  can  coal  up  and  provision. 
Laura,  I've  just  got  to  smoke.  Will  you  gentlemen 
join  me  ?  "  The  two  young  men  declined.  "  We 
can  go  straight  to  Funchal  in  the  Madieras  and  re- 
coal.  With  the  club-ensign  up  nobody  will  be  ask 
ing  questions.  We  can  telegraph  the  Herald  when 
ever  we  touch  a  port.  Just  a  pleasure-cruise." 
The  admiral  fingered  the  Legion  of  Honor.  "  And 
here  was  Alladin's  Lamp  hanging  up  in  my  chim 
ney  !  "  He  broke  in  laughter.  "  By  cracky !  that 
man  Donovan  knows  his  business.  He's  gone 
without  putting  back  the  bricks.  He  has  mulcted 
me  for  two  days'  work." 

"  But  crossing  in  the  yacht,"  hesitated  Fitzgerald. 


158  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

He  wished  to  sound  this  man  Breitmann.  If  he 
suggested  obstacles  and  difficulties  it  would  be  a 
confirmation  of  the  telegram  and  his  own  singular 
doubts. 

"  It  is  likely  to  be  a  rough  passage,"  said  Breit 
mann  experimentally. 

"  He  doesn't  want  me  to  go."  Fitzgerald  stroked 
his  chin  slyly. 

"  We  have  crossed  the  Atlantic  twice  in  the 
yacht,"  Laura  affirmed  with  a  bit  of  pride;  "once 
in  March  too,  and  a  heavy  sea  half  the  way." 

"  Enter  me  as  cabin-boy  or  supercargo,"  said 
Fitzgerald.  "If  you  don't  you'll  find  a  stowaway 
before  two  days  out." 

"  That's  the  spirit."  The  admiral  drew  strongly 
on  his  cigar.  He  had  really  never  been  so  excited 
since  his  first  sea-engagement.  "  And  it  comes  in 
so  pat,  Laura.  We  were  going  away  in  a  month 
anyway.  Now  we  can  notify  the  guests  that  we've 
cut  down  the  time  two  weeks.  I  tell  you  what  it 
is,  this  will  be  the  greatest  cruise  /  ever  laid  a  course 
to." 

"  Guests  ?  "  murmured  Fitzgerald,  unconsciously 
poaching  on  Breitmann's  thought. 


PREPARATIONS  159 

"  Yes.  But  they  shall  know  nothing  till  we  land 
in  Corsica.  And  in  a  day  or  two  this  fellow  would 
have  laid  hands  on  these  things  and  we'd  never  been 
any  the  wiser." 

"And  may  we  not  expect  more  of  him?"  said 
Breitmann. 

"  Small  good  it  will  do  him." 

"  Corsica,"  repeated  the  girl  dreamily. 

"  Ay,  Napoleon.  The  Corsican  Brothers*  dag 
gers  and  vendetta,  the  restless  island!  It  is  full 
of  interest.  I  have  been  there."  Breitmann 
smiled  pleasantly  at  the  girl,  but  his  thought  was 
unsmiling.  Versed  as  he  was  in  reading  at  a  glance 
expression,  whether  it  lay  in  the  eyes,  in  the  lips, 
or  the  hands,  he  realized  with  chagrin  that  he  had 
made  a  misstep  somewhere.  For  some  reason  he 
would  have  given  much  to  know,  Fitzgerald  was 
covertly  watching  him. 

"  You  have  been  there,  too,  have  you  not,  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  ?  "  asked  Laura. 

"  Oh,  yes;  but  never  north  of  Ajaccio." 

"  Laura,  what  a  finishing  touch  this  will  give  to 
my  book."  For  the  admiral  was  compiling  a  vol 
ume  of  treasures  found,  lost  and  still  being  hunted. 


160  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  All  I  can  say  is,  that  I  am  really  sorry  that  the 
money  wasn't  used  for  the  purpose  intended." 

"  I  do  not  agree  there,"  said  Fitzgerald. 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  asked  Breitmann. 

"  France  is  better  off  as  she  is.  She  has  had  all 
the  empires  and  monarchies  she  cares  for.  Won 
derful  country!  See  how  she  has  lived  in  spite  of 
them  all.  There  will  never  be  another  kingdom  in 
France,  at  least  not  in  our  generation.  There's  a 
Napoleon  in  Belgium  and  a  Bourbon  in  England; 
the  one  drills  mediocre  soldiers  and  the  other  shoots 
grouse.  They  will  never  go  any  further." 

The  secretary  spread  his  fingers  and  shrugged. 
"  If  there  was  only  a  direct  descendant  of  Napo 
leon!" 

"  Well,  there  isn't,"  retorted  Fitzgerald,  dismiss 
ing  the  subject  into  limbo.  "  And  much  good  it 
would  do  if  there  was." 

"  This  treasure  would  rightly  be  his,"  insisted 
Breitmann. 

"  It  was  put  together  to  bring  Napoleon  back. 
There  is  no  Napoleon  to  bring  back." 

"  In  other  words,  the  money  belongs  to  the 
finder?" 


PREPARATIONS  161 

"  Exactly." 

"  Findings  is  keepings,"  the  admiral  determined. 
"  That's  Captain  Flanagan's  rule." 

The  girl  could  bring  together  no  reasons  for  the 
mind  inclining  to  the  thought  that  between  the  two 
young  men  there  had  risen  an  antagonism  of  some 
sort,  nothing  serious  but  still  armed  with  spikes  of 
light  in  the  eyes  and  a  semi-truculent  angle  to  the 
chin.  Fitzgerald  was  also  aware  of  this  apparency, 
and  it  annoyed  him.  Still,  sometimes  instinct 
guides  more  surely  than  logic.  After  all,  he  and 
Breitmann  were  only  casual  acquaintances.  There 
had  never  been  any  real  basis  for  friendship;  and 
the  possibility  of  this  had  been  rendered  nil  by  the 
telegram.  One  can  not  make  a  friend  of  a  man 
who  has  lied  gratuitously. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Breitmann,"  interposed  the  admiral 
pacifically,  for  he  was  too  keen  a  sailor  not  to  have 
noted  the  chill  in  the  air,  "  suppose  we  send  off 
those  letters?  Here,  I'll  write  the  names  and  ad 
dresses,  and  you  can  finish  them  up  by  yourself. 
Please  call  up  Captain  Flanagan  at  Swan's  Hotel 
and  tell  him  to  report  this  afternoon."  The  ad 
miral  scribbled  out  the  names  of  his  guests,  gath- 


1 62  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

ered  up  the  precious  documents,  and  put  them  into 
his  pocket.  "  Come  along  now,  my  children ;  we'll 
take  the  air  in  the  garden  and  picture  the  French 
man's  brig  rocking  in  the  harbor." 

"  It  is  all  very  good  of  you,"  said  Fitzgerald,  as 
the  trio  eyed  the  yacht  from  the  terrace. 

"  Nonsense !  The  thing  remains  that  all  these 
years  you  ignored  us." 

"  I  have  been,  and  still  am,  confoundedly  poor. 
There  is  a  little ;  I  suppose  I  could  get  along  in  a  hut 
in  some  country  village;  but  the  wandering  life  has 
spoiled  me  for  that." 

"  Fake  pride,"  rebuked  the  girl. 

"  I  suppose  it  is." 

"  Your  father  had  none.  Long  after  the  smash 
he'd  hunt  me  up  for  a  week's  fishing.  Isn't  she  a 
beauty?  "  pointing  to  the  yacht. 

"  Slie  is,"  the  young  man  agreed,  with  his  admi 
ration  leveled  at  the  lovely  profile  of  the  girl. 

"  Let  me  see,"  began  the  admiral ;  "  there  will  be 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coldfield,  first-class  sailors,  both  of 
them.  What's  the  name  of  that  singer  who  is  with 
them?" 

"  Hildegarde  von  Mitter." 


PREPARATIONS  163 

"Of  the  Royal  Opera  in  Munich?"  asked  Fitz 
gerald. 

"  Yes.     Have  you  met  her  ?     Isn't  she  lovely  ?  " 

"  I  have  only  heard  of  her." 

"  And  Arthur  Cathevve,"  concluded  the  admiral. 

"Cathewe?  That  will  be  fine,"  Fitzgerald 
agreed  aloud.  But  in  his  heart  he  swore  he  would 
never  forgive  Arthur  for  this  trick.  And  he  knew 
all  the  time !  "  He's  the  best  friend  I  have.  A 
great  hunter,  with  a  reputation  which  reaches 
from  the  Carpathians  to  the  Himalayas,  from 
Abyssinia  to  the  Congo." 

"  He  is  charming  and  amusing.  Only,  he  is  very 
shy." 

At  four  that  afternoon  Captain  Flanagan  pre 
sented  his  respects.  The  admiral  was  fond  of  the 
old  fellow,  a  friendship  formed  in  the  blur  of  battle- 
smoke.  He  had  often  been  criticized  for  officering 
his  yacht  with  such  a  gruff,  rather  illiterate  man, 
when  gentlemen  were  to  be  had  for  the  asking.  But 
Flanagan  was  a  splendid  seaman,  and  the  admiral 
would  not  have  exchanged  him  for  the  smartest 
English  naval-reserve  afloat.  There  was  never  a 
bend  in  Flanagan's  back;  royalty  and  commonalty 


164  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

were  all  the  same  to  him.  And  those  who  came  to 
criticize  generally  remained  to  admire;  for  Flana 
gan  was  the  kind  of  sailor  fast  disappearing  from 
the  waters,  a  man  who  had  learned  his  seamanship 
before  the  mast. 

"  Captain,  how  long  will  it  take  us  to  reach  Fun- 
chal  in  the  Madieras  ?  " 

"  Well,  Commodore,  give  us  a  decent  sea  an'  we 
can  make  'er  in  fourteen  days.  But  I  thought  we 
wus  goin'  t'  th'  Banks,  sir?  " 

"  Changed  my  plans.  We'll  put  out  in  twelve 
days.  Everything  shipshape  ?  " 

"Up  to  the  buntin',  sir,  and  down  to  her  keel. 
I  sh'd  say  about  six-hundred  tons ;  an'  mebbe  twelve 
days  instead  of  fourteen.  An'  what'll  be  our  course 
after  Madeery,  sir?  " 

"  Ajaccio,  Corsica." 

"  Yessir." 

If  the  admiral  had  said  the  Antarctic,  Flanagan 
would  never  have  batted  an  eye. 

"  You  have  spoken  the  crew  ?  " 

"  Yessir ;  deep-sea  men,  too,  sir.  Halloran  '11 
have  th'  injins  as  us'l,  sir.  Shall  I  run  'er  up  t'  N' 
York  fer  provisions  ?  I  got  your  list," 


PREPARATIONS  165 

"  Triple  the  order.  I'll  take  care  of  the  wine  and 
tobacco." 

"  All  right,  sir." 

"  That  will  be  all.     Have  a  cigar." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  What's  the  trouble  ?  "  extend 
ing  a  pudgy  hand  toward  the  chimney. 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  about  that  later.  Send  up  that 
man  Donovan  again."  It  occurred  to  the  admiral 
that  it  would  not  be  a  bad  plan  to  cover  Mr. 
Donovan's  palm.  They  had  forgotten  all  about  him. 
He  had  overheard. 

Very  carefully  the  captain  put  away  the  cigar 
and  journeyed  back  to  the  village.  He  regretted 
Corsica.  He  hated  Dagos,  and  Corsica  was  Dago; 
theives  and  cut-throats,  all  of  them. 

This  long  time  Breitmann  had  despatched  his 
letters  and  gone  to  his  room,  where  he  remained  till 
dinner.  He  was  a  servant  in  the  house.  He  must 
not  forget  that.  He  had  been  worse  things  than  this, 
and  still  he  had  not  forgotten.  He  had  felt  the  blush 
of  shame,  yet  he  had  remembered,  and  white  anger 
had  embossed  the  dull  scars;  it  was  impossible  that 
he  should  forget. 

He  had  grown  accustomed,  even  in  this  short 


166  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

time,  to  the  window  overlooking  the  sea,  and  he 
leaned  that  late  afternoon  with  his  arms  resting  on 
the  part  where  the  two  frames  joined  and  locked. 
The  sea  was  blue  and  gentle  breasted.  Flocks  of 
gulls  circled  the  little  harbor  and  land-birds  ven 
tured  daringly  forth. 

With  what  infinite  care  and  patience  had  he  gained 
this  place!  What  struggles  had  ensued!  Like  one 
of  yonder  birds  he  had  been  blown  about,  but  even 
with  his  eyes  hunting  for  this  resting.  He  had 
found  it  and  about  lost  it.  A  day  or  so  later! 
He  had  come  to  rob,  to  lie,  to  pillage,  any  method 
to  gain  his  end;  and  fate  had  led  him  over  this 
threshold  without  dishonor,  ironically.  Even  for 
that,  thank  God ! 

Dimly  he  heard  Fitzgerald  whistling  in  his  room 
across.  The  sound  entered  his  ear,  but  not  his 
trend  of  thought.  God  in  Heaven  what  a  small 
place  this  earth  was !  In  his  hand,  tightly  clutched, 
was  a  ball  of  paper,  damp  from  the  sweat  of  his 
palm.  He  had  gnawed  it,  he  had  pressed  it  in  de 
spair.  Cathewe  was  a  man,  and  he  was  not  afraid 
of  any  man  living.  Besides,  men  rarely  became 
tellers  of  tales.  But  the  woman:  Hildegarde  von 


PREPARATIONS  167 

Mitter!     How  to  meet  her,  how  to  look  into  her 
great  eyes,  how  to  hear  the  sound  of  her  voice ! 

He  flung  the  ball  of  paper  into  the  corner.  She 
could  break  him  as  one  breaks  a  dry  and  brittle 
reed. 


CHAPTER  XII 

M.    FERRAUD  INTRODUCES    HIMSELF 

"T/'ESSIR,  Mr.  Donovan,"  said  Captain  Flana- 
JL     gan,  his  peg-leg  crossed  and  one  hand  ab 
stractedly  polishing  the  brass  ferrule ;  "  Yessir,  the 
question  is,  what  did  y'  hear?  " 

Mr.  Donovan  caressed  his  beer-glass  and  re 
flected.  The  two  were  seated  in  the  office  of  Swan's 
Hotel.  "  Well,  I  took  them  bricks  out  an'  it  seems 
that  loony  ol'  Frenchman  our  grandpas  use  to  blow 
about  had  hid  a  box  in  th'  chimbley." 

"A  box  in  the  chimbley.  An  what  was  in  the 
box?" 

Mr.  Donovan  considered  again.  "  I'll  tell  you  the 
truth,  Cap'n.  It  wus  a  lot  of  rigermarole  about 
a  treasure.  I  wanted  t'  laugh.  Your  commodore's 
a  hoodoo  on  pirates  an'  treasures,  an'  he  ain't  found 
either  yet." 

"  No  jokin' ;  keep  a  clear  course." 
1 68 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF     169 

"  No  harm.  Th'  admiral's  all  right,  and  don't 
you  forget  it.  As  I  wus  sayin',  they  finds  this  'ere 
box.  The  dockeyments  wus  in  French,  but  th' 
daughter  read  'em  off  sumpin  wonderful.  You've 
heard  of  Napoleon?  " 

"  Yes;  I  recollects  the  name,"  replied  the  captain, 
with  quiet  ridicule. 

"  Well,  this  business  pertained  t'  him.  Seems 
some  o'  his  friends  got  money  t'gether  t'  rescue  him 
from  some  island  or  other." 

"  St.  Helena." 

"  That  wus  it.  They  left  the  cash  in  a  box  in 
Corsiker,  'nother  island;  I-talyan,  I  take  it.  But 
I'll  bet  a  dollar  you  never  find  anythin'  there." 

"  That  is  as  may  be."  The  captain  liberated  a 
full  sigh  and  dug  a  hand  into  a  trousers  pocket. 
He  looked  cautiously  about.  The  two  of  them  were 
without  witnesses.  The  landlord  was  always  will 
ing  to  serve  beer  to  those  in  quest  of  it;  but  imme 
diately  on  providing  it,  he  resumed  his  interrupted 
perusal  of  the  sporting  column.  At  this  moment 
his  soul  was  flying  around  the  track  at  Bennington. 
When  the  captain  pulled  out  his  hand  it  seemed  full 
of  bright  autumn  leaves.  Donovan's  glass  was 


i;o  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

suspended .  midway  between  the  table  and  his  lips. 
Slowly  the  glass  retraced  the  half -circle  and  re 
sumed  its  perpendicular  position  upon  the  oak. 

"  Beauties;  huh?  "  said  the  captain. 

"Twenty-dollar  bills!" 

"  Yessir;  every  one  of  'em  as  good  as  gold;  pay 
able  to  bearer  on  demand,  says  your  Uncle  Sam." 

"  An'  why  are  you  makin'  me  envious  this  way  ?  " 
said  Donovan  crossly. 

"  Donovan,  you  and  me's  been  friends  off  an'  on 
these  ten  years,  ever  since  th'  commodore  bought 
th'  Laura.  Well,  says  he  t'  me  '  Capt'n,  we  forgot 
that  Mr.  Donovan  was  in  th'  room  at  th'  time  o' 
th'  discovery.  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  impress 
him  with  the  fact  that  this  expedition  is  on  the 
Q.  T.  ?  Not  that  I  think  he  will  say  anythin',  but 
you  might  add  these  few  bits  o'  paper  to  his  promise 
not  t'  speak.'  Says  I,  'I'll  trust  Mr.  Donovan.' 
An'  I  do.  You  never  broke  no  promise  yet." 

"  It  pays  in  the  long  run,"  replied  Mr.  Donovan, 
vainly  endeavoring  to  count  the  bills. 

"Well,  this  'ere  little  fortune  is  yours  if  you 
promise  to  abide  by  th'  conditions." 

"  That  I  keeps  my  mouth  shut." 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF     171 

"  An'  not  open  it  even  to  th'  Mrs." 

Mr.  Donovan  permitted  a  doubt  to  wrinkle  his 
brow.  "  That'll  be  a  tough  proposition." 

"  Put  th'  money  in  th'  bank  and  say  nothin'  till 
you  hear  from  me,"  advised  the  captain. 

"  That's  a  go." 

"  Then  I  give  you  these  five  nice  ones  with  th' 
regards  o'  th'  commodore."  The  captain  stripped 
each  bill  and  slowly  laid  it  down  on  the  table  for  the 
fear  that  by  some  curious  circumstance  there  might 
be  six. 

"  One  hundred  ?  Capt'n,  I'm  a  — "  Mr.  Donovan 
emptied  his  glass  with  a  few  swift  gulps  and  banged 
the  table.  "  Two  more." 

The  landlord  lowered  his  paper  wearily  (would 
they  never  let  him  alone?)  and  stepped  behind  the 
bar.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Donovan  folded  the 
bills  and  stowed  them  away. 

"  Not  even  t'  th'  Mrs.,"  he  swore.  "  Here's  luck, 
Capt'n." 

"  Same  t'  you ;  an'  don't  get  drunk  this  side  o' 
Jersey  City." 

And  with  this  admonition  the  captain  drank  his 
beer  and  thumped  off  for  the  water  front,  satisfied 


172  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

that  the  village  would  hear  nothing  from  Mr.  Dono 
van.  Nevertheless,  it  was  shameful  to  let  a  hun 
dred  go  that  easy;  twenty  would  have  served.  He 
was  about  to  hail  the  skiff  when  he  was  accosted  by 
the  quiet  little  man  he  had  recently  observed  sitting 
alone  in  the  corner  of  Swan's  office. 

"  Pardon,  but  you  are  Captain  Flanagan  of  the 
yacht  Laura?  " 

"  Yessir,"  patiently.  "  But  the  owner  never  lets 
anybody  aboard  he  don't  know,  sir." 

"  I  do  not  desire  to  come  aboard,  my  Captain. 
What  I  wish  to  know  is  if  his  excellency  the  ad 
miral  is  at  home." 

"  His  excellency  "  rather  confounded  the  captain 
for  a  moment ;  but  he  came  about  without  "  takin' 
more'n  a  bucketful,"  as  he  afterward  expressed  it 
to  Halloran  the  engineer.  "  I  knew  right  then  he 
wus  a  furriner;  I  know  'em.  They  ain't  no  excel 
lencies  in  th'  navy.  But  I  tells  him  that  the  commo 
dore  was  snug  in  his  berth  up  yonder,  and  with  that 
he  looks  to  me  like  I  wus  a  lady.  I've  seen  him  in 
Swan's  at  night  readin';  allus  chasin'  butterflies 
when  he  sees  'em  in  the  street."  And  the  captain 
rounded  out  this  period  by  touching  his  forehead  as 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELE     173 

a  subtle  hint  that  in  his  opinion  the  foreigner  carried 
no  ballast. 

In  the  intervening  time  the  subject  of  this  light 
suggestion  was  climbing  the  hill  with  that  tireless 
resiliant  step  of  one  born  to  mountains.  No  task  ap 
peared  visibly  to  weary  this  man.  Small  as  he  was, 
his  bones  were  as  strong  and  his  muscles  as  stringy 
as  a  wolfs.  If  the  butterfly  was  worth  while  he 
would  follow  till  it  fell  to  his  net  or  daylight  with 
drew  its  support.  Never  he  lost  patience,  never  his 
smile  faltered,  never  his  mild  spectacled  eyes  wav 
ered.  He  was  a  savant  by  nature;  he  was  a  secret 
agent  by  choice.  Who  knows  anything  about  rare 
butterflies  appreciates  the  peril  of  the  pursuit;  one 
never  picks  the  going  and  often  stumbles.  He  was 
a  hunter  of  butterflies  by  nature;  but  he  possessed  a 
something  more  than  a  mere  smattering  of  other 
odd  crafts.  He  was  familiar  with  precious  gems, 
marbles  he  knew  and  cameos ;  he  could  point  out  the 
weakness  in  a  drawing,  the  false  effort  in  a  sym 
phony;  he  was  something  of  mutual  interest  to 
every  man.  and  woman  he  met. 

So  it  fell  out  very  well  that  Admiral  Killigrew 
was  fond  of  butterflies.  Still,  he  should  have  been 


174  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

equally  glad  to  know  that  the  sailor's  hobby  inclined 
toward  the  exploits  of  pirates.  M.  Ferraud  was  a 
modest  man.  That  his  exquisite  brochure  on 
lepidopterous  insects  was  in  nearly  all  the  public 
libraries  of  the  world  only  gratified,  but  added  noth 
ing  to  his  vanity. 

As  it  oftentimes  happens  to  a  man  whose  mind  is 
occupied  with  other  things,  the  admiral,  who  re 
ceived  M.  Ferraud  in  the  library,  saw  nothing  in 
the  name  to  kindle  his  recollection.  He  bade  the 
savant  to  be  seated  while  he  read  the  letter  of  in 
troduction  which  had  been  written  by  the  secretary 
of  the  navy. 

"  MY  DEAR  KILLIGREW  : 

"  This  will  introduce  to  you  Monsieur  Ferraud, 
of  the  butterfly  fame.  He  has  learned  of  the  suc 
cess  of  your  efforts  in  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America  and  is  eager  to  see  your  collection.  Do 
what  you  can  for  him.  I  know  you  will,  for  you 
certainly  must  have  his  book.  I  myself  do  not 
know  a  butterfly  from  a  June-bug,  but  it  will  be  a 
pleasure  to  bring  you  two  together." 

Breitmann  arranged  his  papers  neatly  and  waited 
to  be  dismissed.  He  had  seen  M.  Ferraud  at 
Swan's,  but  had  formed  no  opinion  regarding  him; 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF     175 

in  fact,  the  growth  of  his  interest  had  stopped  at  in 
difference.  On  his  part,  the  new  arrival  never  so 
much  as  gave  the  secretary  a  second  glance  —  the 
first  was  sufficient.  And  while  the  admiral  read 
on,  M.  Ferraud  examined  the  broken  skin  on  his 
palms. 

"  Mr.  Ferraud !  Well,  well ;  this  is  a  great  honor, 
I'm  sure.  It  wras  very  kind  of  them  to  send  you 
here.  Where  is  your  luggage  ?  " 

"  I  am  stopping  at  Swan's  Hotel." 

"  We  shall  have  your  things  up  this  very  night." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Ferraud,  in  protest ;  though  this  was 
the  very  thing  he  desired. 

"  Not  a  word !  "  The  admiral  summoned  the 
butler,  who  was  the  general  factotem  at  The  Pines, 
and  gave  a  dozen  orders. 

"  Ah,  you  Americans ! "  laughed  M.  Ferraud, 
pyramiding  his  ringers.  "  You  leave  us  breathless." 

"  Your  book  has  delighted  me.  But  I'm  afraid 
my  collection  will  not  pay  you  for  your  trouble." 

"  That  is  for  me  to  decide.  My  South  American 
specimens  are  all  seconds.  On  the  other  hand,  you 
have  netted  yours  yourself." 

And  straightway  a  bond  of  friendship  was  riveted 


176  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

between  these  two  men  which  still  remains  bright 
and  untarnished  by  either  absence  or  forgetfulness. 
They  bent  over  the  cases,  agreed  and  disagreed,  the 
one  with  the  sharp  gestures,  the  other  with  the  rise 
and  fall  of  the  voice.  For  them  nothing  else 
existed;  they  were  truly  engrossed. 

Breitmann,  hiding  a  smile  that  was  partly  a 
yawn,  stole  quietly  away.  Butterflies  did  not  excite 
his  concern  in  the  least. 

M.  Ferraud  was  charmed.  He  was  voluble. 
Never  had  he  entered  a  more  homelike  place,  large 
enough  to  be  called  a  chateau,  yet  as  cheerful  as  a 
writer's  fire.  And  the  daughter!  Her  French  was 
the  elegant  speech  of  Tours,  her  German  Hanover 
ian.  Incomparable!  And  she  was  not  married? 
Helas!  How  many  luckless  fellows  walked  the 
world  desolate?  And  this  was  M.  Fitzgerald  the 
journalist?  And  M.  Breitmann  had  also  been  one? 
How  delighted  he  was  to  be  here!  All  this  flowed 
on  with  perfect  naturalness;  there  wasn't  a  false 
note  anywhere.  At  dinner  he  diffused  a  warmth 
and  geniality  which  were  infectious.  Laura  was 
pleased  and  amused;  and  she  adored  her  father  for 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF     177 

these  impulses  which  brought  to  the  board,  unex 
pectedly,  such  men  as  M.  Ferraud. 

M.  Ferraud  did  not  smoke,  but  he  dissipated  to 
the  extent  of  drinking  three  small  cups  of  coffee 
after  dinner. 

"  You  are  right,"  he  acknowledged  —  there  had 
been  a  slight  dispute  relative  to  the  methods  of 
roasting  the  berry  — "  Europe  does  not  roast  its  cof 
fee,  it  burns  it.  The  aroma,  the  bouquet!  I  am 
beaten." 

"  So  am  I,"  Fitzgerald  reflected  sadly,  snatching 
a  vision  of  the  girl's  animated  face. 

Three  days  he  had  ridden  into  the  country  with 
her,  or  played  tennis,  or  driven  down  to  the  village 
and  inspected  the  yacht.  He  had  been  lonely  so 
long  and  this  beautiful  girl  was  such  a  good  com 
rade.  One  moment  he  blessed  the  prospective 
treasure  hunt,  another  he  execrated  it.  To  be  with 
this  girl  was  to  love  her;  and  whither  this  pleasur 
able  idleness  would  lead  him  he  was  neither  blind 
nor  self-deceiving.  But  with  the  semi-humorous 
recklessness  which  was  the  leaven  of  his  success,  he 
thrust  prudence  behind  him  and  stuck  to  the  prim- 


178  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

rose  path.  He  had  played  with  fire  before,  but 
never  had  the  coals  burned  so  brightly.  He  did  not 
say  that  she  was  above  him;  mentally  and  by  birth 
they  were  equals ;  simply,  he  was  compelled  to  admit 
of  the  truth  that  she  was  beyond  him.  Money. 
That  was  the  obstacle.  For  what  man  will  live 
on  his  wife's  bounty?  Suppose  they  found  the 
treasure  '(and  with  his  old  journalistic  suspicion  he 
was  still  skeptical),  and  divided  it;  why,  the  inter-- 
est  on  his  share  would  not  pay  for  her  dresses.  To 
the  ordinary  male  eye  her  gowns  looked  inexpen 
sive,  but  to  him  who  had  picked  up  odd  bits  of  in 
formation  not  usually  in  the  pathway  of  man,  to 
him  there  was  no  secret  about  it.  That  bodice  and 
those  sleeves  of  old  Venetian  point  would  have  eaten 
up  the  gains  of  any  three  of  his  most  prosperous 
months. 

And  Breitmann,  dropping  occasionally  the  ash 
of  his  cigarette  on  the  tray,  he,  too,  was  ponder 
ing.  But  his  German  strain  did  not  make  it  so 
easy  for  him  as  for  Fitzgerald  to  give  concrete  form 
to  his  thought.  The  star,  as  he  saw  it,  had  a  nebu 
lous  appearance. 

M.  Ferraud  chatted  gaily.     Usually  a  man  who 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF.     179 

holds  his  audience  is  of  single  purpose.  The  little 
Frenchman  had  two  aims:  one,  to  keep  the  conver 
sation  on  subjects  of  his  own  selection,  and  the 
other,  to  study  without  being  observed.  Among 
one  of  his  own  tales  (butterflies)  he  told  of  a  chase 
he  once  had  made  in  the  mountains  of  the  Moors,  in 
Abyssinia.  To  illustrate  it  he  took  up  one  of  the 
nets  standing  in  the  corner.  In  his  excitable  way 
he  was  a  very  good  actor.  And  when  he  swooped 
down  the  net  to  demonstrate  the  end  of  the  story, 
it  caught  on  a  button  on  Breitmann's  coat. 

"  Pardon !  "  said  M.  Ferraud,  with  a  blithe  laugh. 
"  The  butterfly  I  was  describing  was  not  so  big." 

Breitmann  freed  himself  amid  general  laughter. 
And  with  Laura's  rising  the  little  after-dinner  party 
became  disorganized. 

It  was  yet  early;  but  perhaps  she  had  some 
thought  she  wished  to  be  alone  with.  This  consid 
eration  was  the  veriest  bud  in  growth;  still,  it  was 
such  that  she  desired  the  seclusion  of  her  room 
She  swung  across  her  shoulders  the  sleepy  Angora 
and  wished  the  men  good  night. 

The  wire  bell  in  the  hall  clock  vibrated  twice; 


i8o  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

two  o'clock  of  the  morning.  A  streak  of  moon 
shine  fell  aslant  the  floor  and  broke  off  abruptly. 
Before  the  safe  in  the  library  stood  Breitmann,  a 
small  tape  in  his  hand.  For  several  minutes  he 
contemplated  somberly  the  nickel  combination 
wheel.  He  could  open  it  for  he  knew  the  combina 
tion.  To  open  it  would  be  the  work  of  a  moment. 
Why,  then,  did  he  hesitate?  Why  not  pluck  it 
forth  and  disappear  on  the  morrow?  The  admiral 
had  not  made  a  copy,  and  without  the  key  he 
might  dig  up  Corsica  till  the  crack  of  doom.  The 
flame  on  the  taper  crept  down.  The  man  gave  a 
quick  movement  to  his  shoulders;  it  was  the  shrug, 
not  of  impatience  but  of  resignation.  He  saw  the 
lock  through  the  haze  of  a  conjured  face.  He  shut 
his  eyes,  but  the  vision  remained.  Slowly  he  drew 
his  fingers  over  the  flame. 

Yet,  before  the  flame  died  wholly  it  touched  two 
points  of  light  in  the  doorway,  the  round  crystals 
of  a  pair  of  spectacles. 

"Two  souls  with  but  a  single  thought!"  tfie 
secret  agent  murmured.  "  Poor  devil !  why  does  he 
hesitate?  Why  does  he  not  take  it  and  be  gone? 


FERRAUD  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF,     181 

Is  he  still  honest?  Pestel  I  must  be  growing  old. 
I  shall  not  ruin  him,  I  shall  save  him.  It  is  not 
good  politics,  but  it  is  good  Christianity.  Schlafen 
Sie  wohl,  Hochwohl  geboren!" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW 

C€T"XON'T  you  sometimes  grow  weary  for  an 
-L/  abiding  place?"  Laura  pulled  off  her 
gauntlets  and  laid  her  hot  hands  on  the  cool  lichen- 
grown  stones  of  the  field- wall.  The  bridle-rein 
hung  over  her  arm.  Fitzgerald  had  drawn  his 
through  a  stirrup.  "  Think  of  wandering  here  and 
there,  with  never  a  place  to  come  back  to." 

"  I  have  thought  of  it  often  in  the  few  days  I 
have  been  here.  I  have  a  home  in  New  York,  but 
I  could  not  possibly  afford  to  live  in  it ;  so  I  rent  it ; 
and  when  I  want  to  go  fishing  there's  enough 
under  hand  to  pay  the  expenses.  My  poor  old  dad ! 
He  was  always  indorsing  notes  for  his  friends,  or 
carrying  stock  for  them;  and  nothing  ever  came 
back.  I  am  afraid  the  disillusions  broke  his  heart. 
And  then,  perhaps  I  was  a  bitter  disappointment. 
I  was  expelled  from  college  in  my  junior  year.  I 

182 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW          183 

had  no  head  for  figures  other  than  that  kind  which 
inhabit  the  Louvre  and  the  Vatican." 

Her  face  became  momentarily  mirthful. 

"  So  I  couldn't  take  hold  of  the  firm  for  him," 
he  continued.  "  And  I  suppose  the  last  straw  was 
when  I  tried  my  hand  at  reporting  on  one  of  the 
newspapers.  He  knew  that  the  gathering  of  riches, 
so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  was  a  closed  door.  But 
I  found  my  level;  the  business  was  and  is  the  only 
one  that  ever  interested  me  or  fused  my  energy  with 
real  work." 

"  But  it  is  real  work.     You  are  one  of  those 

• 

men  who  have  done  something.  Most  men  these 
days  rest  on  their  fathers'  laurels/' 

"  It's  the  line  of  the  least  resistance.  I  never 
knew  that  the  Jersey  coast  was  so  picturesque. 
What  a  sweep!  Do  you  know,  your  house  on  that 
pine-grown  crest  reminds  me  of  the  Villa  Serbel- 
loni,  only  yonder  is  the  sea  instead  of  Como  ?  " 

"  Como."  Her  eyes  became  dreamily  half-shut. 
Recollection  put  on  its  seven-league  boots  and  an 
nihilated  the  space  between  the  wall  under  her  el 
bows  and  the  gardens  of  Serbelloni.  Fitzgerald 
half  understood  the  thought.  "  Isn't  Mr.  Breit- 


184  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

mann  just  a  bit  of  a  mystery  to  you?  "  she  asked. 
The  seven-league  boots  had  returned  at  a  bound. 

"  In  some  ways,  yes."  He  rather  resented  the 
abrupt  angle;  it  was  not  in  poetic  touch  with  the 
time  being. 

"  He  is  inclined  to  be  too  much  reserved.  But 
last  night  Mr.  Ferraud  succeeded  in  tearing  down 
some  of  it.  If  I  could  put  in  a  book  what  all  you 
men  have  seen  and  taken  part  in!  Mr.  Breitmann 
would  be  almost  handsome  but  for  those  scars." 

He  kicked  the  turf  at  the  foot  of  the  wall.  "  In 
Germany  they  are  considered  beauty-spots." 

"  I  am  not  in  sympathy  with  that  custom." 

"  Still,  it  requires  courage  of  a  kind." 

"  The  noblest  wounds  are  those  that  are  carried 
unseen.  Student  scars  are  merely  patches  of  van 
ity." 

"  He  has  others  besides  those.  He  was  nearly 
killed  in  the  Soudan."  Fitzgerald  was  compelled  to 
offer  some  defense  for  the  absent.  That  Breit 
mann  had  lied  to  him,  that  his  appearance  here  had 
been  in  the  regular  order  of  things,  did  not  take 
away  the  fact  that  the  Bavarian  was  a  man  and  a 
brave  one.  Closely  as  he  had  watched,  up  to  the 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW         1185 

present  he  had  learned  absolutely  nothing;  and  to 
have  shown  Breitmann  the  telegram  would  have  ac 
complished  nothing  further  than  to  have  put  him 
wholly  on  guard. 

"  Have  you  no  scars?  "  mischief  in  her  eyes. 

"  Not  yet;  "  and  the  force  of  his  gaze  turned  hers 
aside.  "  Yet  I  must  not  forget  my  conscience ;  'tis 
pretty  well  battered  up." 

She  greeted  this  with  laughter.  She  had  heard 
men  talk  like  this  before.  "You  have  probably 
never  done  a  mean  or  petty  thing  in  all  your  life." 

"  Mean  and  petty  things  never  disturb  a  man's 
conscience.  It's  the  big  things  that  scar." 

"  That's  a  platitude." 

"  Then  my  end  of  the  conversation  is  becoming 
flat." 

"  Confess  that  you  are  eager  to  return  to  the  great 
highways  once  more." 

"  I  shall  confess  nothing  of  the  sort.  I  should 
like  to  stay  here  for  a  hundred  years." 

"  You  would  miss  us  all  very  much  then,"  merrily. 
"  And  Napoleon's  treasure  would  have  gone  in  and 
out  of  innumerable  pockets !  " 

"  Do  you  really  and  truly  believe  that  we  shall 


186  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

bring  home  a  single  franc  of  it?"  facing  her  with 
incredulous  eyes. 

"  Really  and  truly.  And  why  not  ?  Treasures 
have  been  found  before.  Fie  on  you  for  a  Doubt 
ing  Thomas ! " 

"  We  sometimes  go  many  miles  to  find,  in  the 
end,  that  the  treasure  was  all  the  time  under  our 
very  eyes." 

"  Hyperbole ! "  But  she  looked  down  at  the 
lichen  again  and  began  pealing  it  off  the  stone.  She 
thought  of  a  duke  she  knew.  At  this  instant  he 
would  have  been  telling  her  that  she  was  the  most 
beautiful  woman  since  Helen.  What  a  relief  this 
man  at  her  side  was !  She  was  perfectly  aware  that 
he  admired  her,  but  he  veiled  his  tributes  with  half- 
smiles  and  flashes  of  humor.  "  What  a  gay  little 
man  that  Mr.  Ferraud  is !  " 

"  Lively  as  a  cricket.  Your  father,  I  understand, 
is  to  take  him  as  far  as  Marseilles.  After  to-night 
everything  will  be  quite  formal,  I  suppose.  Hon 
estly,  I  feel  ill  at  ease  in  accepting  your  splendid 
hospitality.  I'm  an  interloper.  I  haven't  even  the 
claim  of  an  ordinary  introduction.  It  has  been 
very,  very  kind  of  you." 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW         187 

"  You  know  Mrs.  Coldfield.  I  will,  if  you  wish 
it,  ask  here  to  present  you  to  me." 

"  I  am  really  serious." 

"  So  am  I." 

"  They  will  be  here  to-morrow?  " 

"  Yes.  And  in  four  days  we  sail.  Oh,  it  is  all 
so  beautiful!  A  real  treasure  hunt." 

"  It  does  not  seem  possible  that  I  have  been  here 
a  week.  It  has  been  a  long  time  since  I  enjoyed 
myself  so  thoroughly.  Have  you  ever  wondered 
what  has  become  of  the  other  man?  " 

"The  other  man?" 

"  Yes ;  the  other  one  in  or  outside  the  chimney. 
I've  been  thinking  about  him  this  long  while. 
Hasn't  it  occurred  to  you  that  he  may  have  other  de 
vices  ?  " 

"If  he  has  he  will  find  that  he  has  waited  too 
long.  But  I  would  like  to  know  how  he  found  out. 
You  see,"  triumphantly,  "  he  believed  that  there  is 
one."  She  shook  the  rein,  for  the  sleek  mare  was 
nozzling  her  shoulder  and  pawing  slightly.  "  Let 
us  be  off." 

She  put  her  small  booted  foot  on  his  palm  and 
vaulted  into  the  saddle,  and  he  swung  on  to  his 


i88  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

mount.  He  stuffed  his  cap  into  a  pocket,  for  he 
was  no  fair-weather  horseman,  but  loved  the  tingle 
of  the  wind  rushing  through  his  hair;  and  the  two 
cantered  down  the  clear  sandy  road. 

"En  avant!"  she  cried  joyously,  with  a  light 
stroke  of  her  whip. 

For  half  a  mile  they  ran  and  drew  in  at  the  fork 
in  the  road.  Exhilaration  was  in  the  eyes  of  both  of 
them. 

"  There's  nothing  equal  to  it.  You  feel  alive. 
And  off  there,"  with  a  wave  of  the  whip  toward  the 
sea,  "  off  there  lies  our  fortunes.  O  happy  day !  to 
take  part  in  a  really  truly  adventure,  without  the 
assistance  of  a  romancer!  " 

"  I  think  you  are  one  of  the  most  charming  women 
I  have  ever  met,"  he  replied. 

"  Some  women  would  object  to  the  modification, 
but  I  rather  like  it." 

"  I  withdraw  the  modification."  The  smile  on 
his  lips  was  not  reflected  in  his  eyes. 

The  antithesis  of  the  one  expression  to  the  other 
did  not  annoy  her ;  rather  she  was  sensitive  to .  a 
tender  exultance  the  recurrence  of  which,  later  in 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW          189 

the  day,  subdued  her:  for  Breitmann  at  tea  turned 
a  few  phrases  of  a  similar  character.  Fitzgerald 
was  light-hearted  and  boyish,  Breitmann  was  grave 
and  dignified;  but  in  the  eyes  of  each  there  was  a 
force  she  had  encountered  so  seldom  as  to  forget 
its  being.  Breitmann,  in  his  capacity  of  secretary, 
was  not  so  often  in  her  company  as  Fitzgerald; 
nevertheless  she  was  subtly  attracted  toward  him. 
When  he  was  of  the  mind  he  could  invent  a  happy 

compliment  with  a  felicity  no  less  facile  than  Fitz- 

• 

gerald.  And  the  puzzling  thing  of  it  all  was,  both 
men  she  knew  from  their  histories  had  never  been 
ornaments  at  garden-parties  where  compliments  are 
current  coin.  She  liked  Fitzgerald,  but  she  admired 
Breitmann,  a  differentiation  which  she  had  no  in 
clination  to  resolve  into  first  principles.  That 
Breitmann  was  a  secretary  for  hire  drew  no  barrier 
in  her  mind.  She  had  known  many  gentlemen  of 
fine  families  who  had  served  in  like  situations. 
There  were  no  social  distinctions.  On  the  other 
hand,  she  never  felt  wholly  comfortable  with  Breit 
mann.  There  was  not  the  least  mistrust  in  this 
feeling.  It  was  rather  because  she  instinctively  felt 


190  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

that  he  was  above  his  occupation.  To  sum  it  up 
briefly,  Breitmann  was  difficult  to  understand  and 
Fitzgerald  wasn't. 

Fitzgerald  had  an  idea ;  boldly  put,  it  was  a  grave 
suspicion.  Not  once  had  he  forgotten  the  man  in 
the  chimney.  Once  the  finger  had  pointed  at  Breit 
mann  or  some  one  with  whom  he  was  in  understand 
ing.  This  had  proved  to  be  groundless.  But  he 
kept  turning  over  the  incident  and  inspecting  it  from 
all  sides.  There  were  others  a-treasure  hunting; 
persons  unknown;  and  a  man  might  easily  become 
desperate  in  the  pursuit  of  two-million  francs,  al 
most  half  a  million  of  American  money,  more,  for 
some  of  these  coins  would  be  rare.  He  had 
thoroughly  searched  the  ground  outside  the  cellar- 
window,  but  the  sea  gravel  held  its  secret  with  a 
tenacity  as  baffling  as  the  mother-sea  herself. 
There  was  a  new  under-groom,  or  rather  there  had 
been.  He  had  left,  and  where  he  had  gone  no  one 
knew.  Fitzgerald  dismissed  the  thought  of  him; 
at  the  most  he  could  have  been  but  an  accomplice, 
one  to  unlock  the  cellar-window. 

While  Breitmann  lingered  near  Laura,  offering 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW         191 

what  signs  of  admiration  he  dared,  and  while  the 
admiral  chatted  to  his  country  neighbors  who  were 
gathered  round  the  tea-table,  Fitzgerald  and  M. 
Ferraud  were  braced  against  the  terrace  wall,  a  few 
yards  farther  on,  and  exchanged  views  on  various 
peoples. 

"  America  is  a  wonderful  country,"  said  M.  Fer 
raud,  when  they  had  exhausted  half  a  dozen  topics. 
He  spread  out  his  hands,  Frenchman-wise. 

"  So  it  is."  Fitzgerald  threw  away  his  ciga 
rette. 

"  And  how  foolish  England  was  over  a  pound  of 
tea." 

"  Something  like  that." 

"  But  see  what  she  lost !  "  with  a  second  gesture. 

"  In  one  way  it  would  not  have  mattered.  She 
would  patronize  us  as  she  still  does." 

"  Do  you  not  resent  it,  this  patronizing  attitude  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  —  we  are  very  proud  to  be  patronized 
by  England,"  cynically.  "  It's  a  fine  thing  to  have 
a  lord  tell  you  that  you  wear  your  clothes  jolly 
well." 

"  I  wonder  if  you  are  serious  or  jesting." 


192  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  I  am  very  serious  at  this  moment,"  said  Fitz 
gerald  quietly  catching  the  other  by  the  wrist  and 
turning  the  palm. 

M.  Ferraud  looked  into  his  face  with  an  astonish 
ment  on  his  own,  most  genuine.  But  he  did  not 
struggle.  "  Why  do  you  do  that  ?  " 

"  I  am  curious,  Mr.  Ferraud,  when  I  see  a  hand 
like  this.  Would  you  mind  letting  me  see  the 
other?" 

"  Not  in  the  least."  M.  Ferraud  offered  the 
other  hand. 

Fitzgerald  let  go.     "  What  was  your  object?  " 

"Mon  dieu!  what  object?" 

Fitzgerald  lowered  his  voice.  "  What  was  your 
object  in  digging  holes  in  yonder  chimney?  Did 
you  know  what  was  there  ?  And  what  do  you  pro 
pose  to  do  now  ?  " 

M.  Ferraud  coolly  took  off  his  spectacles  and 
polished  the  lenses.  It  needed  but  a  moment  to 
adjust  them.  "  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  " 

"You  are  really  M.  Ferraud?"  said  the  young 
man  coldly. 

The  Frenchman  produced  a  wallet  and  took  out 
a  letter.  It  was  written  by  the  president  of  France, 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW         193 

introducing  M.  Ferraud  to  the  ambassador  at 
Washington.  Next,  there  was  a  passport,  and  far 
more  important  than  either  of  these  was  the  Legion 
of  Honor.  "  Yes,  I  am  Anatole  Ferraud." 

"  That  is  all  I  desire  to  know." 

"  Shall  we  return  to  the  ladies  ?  "  asked  M.  Fer 
raud,  restoring  his  treasures. 

"  Since  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  said  at  pres 
ent.  It  seems  strange  to  me  that  foreign  politics 
should  find  its  way  here." 

"  Politics  ?    I  am  only  a  butterfly  hunter." 

"  There  are  varieties.  But  you  are  the  man.  I 
shall  find  out!" 

"  Possibly,"  returned  M.  Ferraud  thinking  hard. 

"  I  give  you  fair  warning  that  if  anything  is 
missing  — " 

"Oh,  Mr.  Fitzgerald!" 

"  I  shall  know  where  to  look  for  it,"  with  a  smile 
which  had  no  humor  in  it. 

"  Why  not  denounce  me  now  ?  " 

"Would  it  serve  your  purpose?" 

"  No,"  with  deeper  gravity.  "  It  would  be  a 
great  disaster ;  how  great,  I  can  not  tell  you." 

"  Then,  I  shall  say  nothing." 


194  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  About  what  ?  "  dryly,  even  whimsically. 

"  About  your  being  a  secret  agent  from  France." 

This  time  M.  Ferraud's  glance  proved  that  he 
was  truly  startled.  Only  three  times  in  his  career 
had  his  second  life  been  questioned  or  suspected. 
He  eyed  his  hands  accusingly;  they  had  betrayed 
him.  This  young  man  was  clever,  cleverer  than  he 
had  thought.  He  had  been  too  confident  and  had 
committed  a  blunder.  Should  he  trust  him  ?  With 
that  swift  unerring  instinct  which  makes  the  perfect 
student  of  character,  he  said :  "  You  will  do  me  a 
great  favor  not  to  impart  this  suspicion  to  any  one 
else." 

"  Suspicion?  " 

"  It  is  true :  I  am  a  secret  agent ;  "  and  he  said  it 
proudly. 

"  You  wish  harm  to  none  here  ?  " 

ee  Mon  dieu!  No.  I  am  here  for  the  very  pur 
pose  of  saving  you  all  from  heartaches  and  mis 
fortune  and  disillusion.  And  had  I  set  to  work 
earlier  I  should  have  accomplished  all  this  without  a 
single  one  of  you  knowing  it.  Now  the  matter  will 
have  to  go  on  to  its  end." 

"Can  you  tell  me  anything?" 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW         195 

"  Not  now.     I  trust  you;  will  you  trust  me?  " 
Fitzgerald  hesitated  for  a  space.     "  Yes." 
"  For  that,  thanks,"  and  M.  Ferraud  put  out  a 
hand.     "  It  is  clean,  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  for  all  that  the 
skin  is  broken." 

"Of  that  I  have  no  doubt." 
"  Before  we  reach  Corsica  you  will  know." 
And  so  temporarily  that  ended  the  matter.     But 
as  Fitzgerald  went  over  to  the  chair  just  vacated 
by  the  secretary,  he  found  that  there  was  a  double 
zest  to  life  now.     This  would  be  far  more  exciting 
than  dodging  ice-floes  and  freezing  one's  toes. 

Laura  told  him  the  news.  Their  guests  would 
arrive  that  evening  in  time  for  dinner. 

It  was  Breitmann's  habit  to  come  down  first.  He 
would  thrum  a  little  on  the  piano  or  take  down  some 
old  volume.  To-night  it  was  Heine.  He  had  not 
met  any  of  the  guests  yet,  which  he.  considered  a 
piece  of  good  fortune.  But  God  only  knew  what 
would  happen  when  she  saw  him.  He  dreaded  the 
moment,  dreaded  it  with  anguish.  She  was  a 
woman,  schooled  in  acting,  but  a  time  comes  when 
the  best  acting  is  not  sufficient.  If  only  in  some 


I96  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

way  he  might  have  warned  her;  but  no  way  had 
opened.  She  would  find  him  ready,  however, 
ready  with  his  eyes,  his  lips,  his  nerves.  What 
would  the  others  think  or  say  if  she  lost  her  pres 
ence  of  mind?  His  teeth  snapped.  He  read  on. 
The  lamp  threw  the  light  on  the  scarred  side  of  his 
face. 

He  heard  some  one  enter,  and  his  gaze  stole  over 
the  top  of  his  book.  This  person  was  a  woman, 
and  her  eyes  traveled  from  object  to  object  with  a 
curiosity  tinged  with  that  incertitude  which  attacks 
us  all  when  we  enter  an  unfamiliar  room.  She 
was  dressed  in  black,  showing  the  white  arms  and 
neck.  Her  hair  was  like  ripe  wheat  after  a  rain 
storm:  oh,  but  he  knew  well  the  color  of  her  eyes, 
blue  as  the  Adriatic.  She  was  a  woman  of  per 
haps  thirty,  matured,  graceful,  handsome.  The 
sight  of  her  excited  a  thrill  in  his  veins,  deny  it 
how  he  would. 

She  scanned  the  long  rows  of  books,  the  strange 
weapons,  the  heroic  and  sinister  flags,  the  cases  of 
butterflies.  With  each  inspection  she  stepped 
nearer  and  nearer,  till  by  reaching  out  his  hand  he 


THE  WOMAN  WHO  KNEW;         197 

might  have  touched  her.  Quietly  he  rose.  It  was 
a  critical  moment. 

She  was  startled.  She  had  thought  she  was 
alone. 

"  Pardon  me,"  she  said,  in  a  low,  musical  voice ; 
"  I  did  not  know  that  any  one  was  here."  And  then 
she  saw  his  face.  Her  own  blanched  and  her  hands 
went  to  her  heart.  "  Karl  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XIV, 

THE  DRAMA   BEGINS 

SHE  swayed  a  little,  but  recovered  as  the  pain 
of  the  shock  was  succeeded  by  numbness. 
That  out  of  the  dark  of  this  room,  into  the  light 
of  that  lamp,  in  this  house  so  far  removed  from 
cities  that  it  seemed  not  a  part  of  the  world  .  .  . 
there  should  step  this  man!  Why  had  there  been 
no  hint  of  his  presence?  iWhy  had  not  the  clair 
voyance  of  despair  warned  her?  One  of  her  hands 
rose  and  pressed  over  her  eyes,  as  if  to  sponge  out 
this  phantom.  It  was  useless;  it  was  no  dream; 
he  was  still  there,  this  man  she  had  neither  seen  nor 
heard  of  for  five  years  because  her  will  was  stronger 
than  her  desire,  this  man  who  had  broken  her  heart 
as  children  break  toys!  And  deep  below  all  this 
present  terror  was  the  abiding  truth  that  she  still 
loved  him  and  always  would  love  him.  The  shame 

198 


THE  DRAMA  BEGINS  199 

of  this  knowledge  did  more  than  all  else  to  rouse 
and  to  nerve  her. 

"  Karl  ?  "     It  was  like  an  echo. 

"  Yes."  There  was  war  in  his  voice  and  atti 
tude  and  not  without  reason.  He  had  wronged  this 
woman,  not  with  direct  intention  it  was  true,  but 
nevertheless  he  had  wronged  her;  and  her  presence 
here  could  mean  nothing  less  than  that  fate  had  se 
lected  this  spot  for  the  reckoning.  She  could  topple 
down  his  carefully  reared  schemes  with  the  same 
ease  with  which  he  had  blown  over  hers.  And  to 
him  these  schemes  were  life  to  his  breath  and  salt  to 
his  blood,  everything.  What  was  one  woman?  cyn 
ically.  "  Yes,  it  is  I,"  in  the  tongue  native  to  them 
both. 

"  And  what  do  you  here  ?  " 

"  I  am  Admiral  Killigrew's  private  secretary." 
He  wet  his  lips.  He  was  not  so  strong  before  this 
woman  as  he  had  expected  to  be.  The  glamour  of 
the  old  days  was  faintly  rekindled  at  the  sight  of 
her.  And  she  was  beautiful. 

"  Then,  this  is  the  house  ?  "  in  a  whisper. 

"  It  is." 

"You  terrify  me!" 


200  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Hildegarde,  this  is  your  scheme,"  shrugging. 
"  Tell  them  all  you  know ;  break  me,  ruin  me.  Here 
is  a  fair  opportunity  for  revenge." 

"  God  forbid !  "  she  cried  with  a  shiver.  "  Were 
you  guilty  of  all  crimes,  I  could  only  remember  that 
once  I  loved  you." 

"  You  shame  me,"  He  replied  frankly,  but  with 
infinite  relief.  "  You  have  outdone  me  in  mag 
nanimity.  Will  you  forgive  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  Forgiveness  is  one  of  the  few  things 
you  men  can  not  rob  us  of."  She  spoke  without 
bitterness,  but  her  eyes  were  dim  and  her  lips 
dropped.  "  What  shall  we  do  ?  They  must  not 
know  that  we  have  met." 

"  Cathewe  knows,"  moodily. 

"  I  had  forgotten !  " 

"  I  leave  all  in  your  hands.  Do  what  you  will. 
If  you  break  me  —  and  God  knows  well  that  you 
can  do  it  —  it  would  be  only  an  act  of  justice.  I 
have  been  a  damned  scoundrel;  I  am  man  enough 
to  admit  of  that." 

She  saw  his  face  more  clearly  now.     Time  had 

*  marked  it.     There  were  new  lines  at  the  corners  of 

his  eyes  and  the  cheek-bones  were  more  prominent. 


201 

Perhaps  he  had  suffered  too.  "You  will  always 
have  the  courage  to  do,"  she  said,  "  right  or  wrong 
in  a  great  manner." 

"  Am  I  wrong  to  seek  — " 

"  Hush !  I  know.  It  is  what  you  must  thrust 
aside  or  break  to  reach  it,  Karl.  The  thing  itself 
is  not  wrong,  but  you  will  go  about  it  wrongly. 
You  can  not  help  that" 

He  did  not  reply.  Perhaps  she  was  right.  In 
deed,  was  she  not  herself  an  example  of  it?  If 
there  was  one  thing  in  his  complex  career  that  he 
regretted  more  than  another  it  was  the  deception 
of  this  woman.  He  did  not  possess  the  usual  van 
ity  of  the  sex ;  there  was  nothing  here  to  be  proud 
of;  his  dream  of  conquest  was  not  over  the  king 
dom  of  women. 

"  Some  one  is  coming,"  he  said,  listening. 

"  Leave  it  all  to  me." 

"  Ah !     .     .     ."     with  a  hand  toward  her. 

"  Do  not  say  it.  I  understand  the  thought.  If 
only  you  loved  me,  you  would  say !  "  the  iron  in  her 
voice  unmistakable. 

He  let  his  hand  fall.     He  was  sorry. 

Presently  the  others  made  their  entrance  upon 


202  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

the  scene,  a  singular  anticlimax.  The  admiral  rang 
for  the  cocktails.  Introductions  followed. 

"Is  it  not  strange?"  said  the  singer  to  Laura. 
"  I  stole  in  here  to  look  at  the  trophies,  when  I  dis 
covered  Mr.  Breitmann  whom  I  once  knew  in 
Munich." 

"  Mr.  Cathewe,"  said  the  young  hostess,  "  this 
is  Mr.  Breitmann,  who  is  aiding  father  in  the  com 
pilation  of  his  book." 

"  Mr.  Breitmann  and  I  have  met  before,"  said 
Cathewe  soberly. 

The  two  men  bowed.  Cathewe  never  gave  his 
hand  to  any  but  his  intimates.  But  Laura,  who  was 
not  aware  of  this  ancient  reserve,  thought  that  both 
of  them  showed  a  lack  of  warmth.  And  Fitzgerald, 
who  was  watching  all  corners  now,  was  sure  that 
the  past  of  his  friend  and  Breitmann  interlaced  in 
some  way. 

"  So,  young  man,"  said  Mrs.  Coldfield,  a  hand 
some  motherly  woman,  "  you  have  had  the  impu 
dence  to  let  five  years  pass  without  darkening  my 
doors.  What  excuse  have  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  guilty  of  anything  you  say,"  Fitzgerald  an- 


THE  DRAMA  BEGINS  203 

swered  humbly.  "  What  shall  be  my  punish 
ment  ?  " 

"  You  shall  take  Miss  Laura  in  and  I  shall  sit  at 
your  left." 

"  For  my  sins  it  shall  be  as  you  say.  But,  really, 
I  have  been  so  little  in  New  York,"  he  added. 

"  I  forgive  you  simply  because  you  have  not  made 
a  failure  of  your  mother's  son.  And  you  look  like 
her,  too."  It  is  one  of  the  privileges  of  old  per 
sons  to  compare  the  young  with  this  or  that  parent. 

"  You  are  flattering  me.  Dad  used  to  say  that 
I  was  as  homely  as  a  hedge-fence." 

"  Now  you're  fishing,  and  I'm  too  old  a  fish  to 
rise  to  such  a  cast." 

"  I  heard  you  sing  in  Paris  a  few  years  ago," 
said  M.  Ferraud. 

"Yes?"  Hildegarde  von  Mitter  wondered  who 
this  little  man  could  be. 

"  And  you  sing  no  more  ?  " 

"  No.  The  bird  has  flown ;  only  the  woman  re 
mains."  They  were  at  the  table  now,  and  she  ab 
sently  plucked  the  flowers  beside  her  plate. 

"  Ah,  to  sing  as  you  did,  and  then  to  disappear, 


204  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

to  vanish!  You  had  no  right  to  do  so.  You  be 
longed  to  the  public,"  animatedly. 

"  The  public  is  always  selfish ;  it  always  demands 
more  than  any  single  person  can  give  to  it.  Par 
don  ?  "  she  said  as  Cathewe  leaned  to  speak  to  her. 
"  I  did  not  hear." 

M.  Ferraud  nibbled  his  crisp  celery. 

"  I  asked,  what  will  you  do  ?  "  repeated  Cathewe 
for  her  ear  only. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Did  you  know  that  he  was  here  ?. " 

"  I  should  not  have  been  seated  at  this  table  had 
I  known." 

"  Some  day  you  are  going  to  tell  me  all  about  it," 
he  asserted ;  "  and  you  are  going  to  smile  when  you 
answer  me." 

"  Thank  you.  I  forgot.  My  dear  friend,  I  am 
never  going  to  tell  you  all  about  it.  Why  did  you 
not  come  first  ?  "  her  voice  vibrating. 

"  You  still  love  him." 

"  That  is  not  kind,"  striving  hard  to  keep  the 
smile  on  her  trembling  lips.  "  Oh,  I  beg  of  you,  do 
not  make  this  friendship  impossible.  Do  not  rob 
me  of  the  one  man  I  trust." 


THE  DRAMA  BEGINS  205 

Cathewe  motioned  aside  the  fish  and  reached  for 
his  sauterne.  "  I  have  loved  you  faithfully  and 
loyally  for  seven  3^ears.  I  have  tried  to  win  you 
by  all  those  roads  a  man  may  honorably  traverse  in 
quest  of  the  one  woman.  For  seven  years ;  and  for 
something  like  three  I  have  stayed  away  at  your 
command.  Will  you  believe  it?  Sometimes  my; 
hands  ache  for  his  throat  .  .  .  Smile,  they  are 
looking." 

It  was  a  crooked  smile.  "Why  did  I  ever  tell 
you?" 

"  Why  did  you  ever  tell  me  ...  only  part  ? 
It  is  the  other  part  I  wish  to  know.  Till  I  learn 
what  that  is  I  shall  never  leave  you.  You  will  find 
that  there  is  a  difference  between  love  and  infatua 
tion." 

"  As  I  have  never  known  infatuation  I  can  not  tell 
the  difference.  Now,  no  more,  unless  you  care  to 
see  me  break  down  before  them.  For  if  you  tell 
me  that  you  have  loved  me  seven  years,  I  have  loved 
him  eight,"  cruelly,  for  Cathewe  was  pressing  her 
cruelly. 

"  Devil  take  him !  What  rdo  you  find  in  the 
man?" 


206  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  [What  do  you  find  in  me  ?  "  her  eyes  filled  with 
anger. 

"  Forgive  me,  Hildegarde ;  I  am  blind  and  mad 
to-night.  I  did  not  expect  to  find  him  here  either." 

Breitmann  had  tried  ineffectually  to  read  their 
lips.  She  had  given  her  word,  and  once  given  he 
knew  of  old  that  she  never  broke  it;  but  he  was 
keenly  alive  that  in  some  way  he  was  the  topic  of 
the  inaudible  conversation.  As  he  sat  here  to-night 
he  knew  why  he  had  never  loved  Hildegarde,  why 
in  fact,  he  had  never  loved  any  woman.  The  one 
great  passion  which  comes  in  the  span  of  life  was 
centered  in  the  girl  beside  him,  dividing  her 
moments  between  him  and  Fitzgerald.  Strange, 
but  he  had  not  known  it  till  he  saw  the  two  women 
together.  For  once  his  nice  calculations  had  ceased 
to  run  smoothly;  there  appeared  now  a  knot  in  the 
thread  for  which  he  saw  no  untying. 

"  You  do  not  sing  now  ?  "  asked  Laura  across 
the  table. 

"  No,"  Hildegarde  answered,  "  my  voice  is  gone." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry." 

"  It  does  not  matter.  I  can  hum  a  little  to  my 
self;  there  is  yet  some  pleasure  in  that.  But  in 


THE  DRAMA  BEGINS  207 

opera,  no,  never  again.  Has  not  Mrs.  Coldfield 
told  you?  No?  Imagine!  One  night  in  Dres 
den,  in  the  middle  of  the  aria,  my  voice  broke  mis 
erably  and  I  could  not  go  on." 

"  And  her  heart  nearly  broke  with  it,"  interposed 
Mrs.  Coldfield,  with  the  best  intentions,  nearer  the 
truth  than  she  knew.  "  I  am  sorry,  Laura,  that  I 
never  told  you  before." 

Hildegarde  laughed.  "  Sooner  or  later  this  must 
happen.  I  worked  too  hard,  perhaps.  At  any  rate, 
the  opera  will  know  me  no  more." 

There  was  the  hard  blue  of  flint  in  Cathewe's  eyes 
as  they  met  and  held  Breitmann's.  There  was  a 
duel,  and  the  latter  was  routed.  But  hate  burned 
fiercely  in  the  breast  against  the  man  who  could 
compel  him  to  lower  his  eyes.  Some  day  he  would 
pay  back  that  glance. 

Now,  M.  Ferraud  had  missed  nothing.  He 
twisted  the  talk  into  other  channels  with  his  usual 
adroitness,  but  all  the  while  there  was  bubbling  in 
his  mind  the  news  that  these  two  men  had  met  be 
fore.  The  history  of  Hildegarde  von  Mitter  was 
known  to  him.  But  how  much  did  she  know,  or 
this  man  Cathexve?  The  woman  was  a  thorough- 


208  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

bred.  He,  Anatole  Ferraud,  knew ;  it  was  his  busi 
ness  to  know ;  and  that  she  should  happen  upon  the 
scene  he  considered  as  one  of  these  rare  good  pieces 
of  luck  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  few.  There  would  be 
something  more  than  treasure  hunting  here;  an  in 
tricate  comedy-drama,  with  as  many  well-defined 
sides  as  a  diamond.  He  ate  his  endive  with  pleas 
ure  and  sipped  the  old  yellow  Pol  Roger  with  his 
eyes  beaming  toward  the  gods.  To  be,  after  a  fash 
ion,  the  prompter  behind  the  scenes;  to  be  able  to 
read  the  final  line  before  the  curtain!  Butterflies 
and  butterflies  and  pins  and  pins. 

Did  Laura  note  any  of  the  portentous  glances, 
those  exchanged  between  the  singer  and  Cathewe 
and  Breitmann?  Perhaps.  At  all  events  she  felt 
a  curiosity  to  know  how  long  Hildegarde  von  Mitter 
had  known  her  father's  secretary.  There  was  no 
envy  in  her  heart  as  again  she  acknowledged  the 
beauty  of  the  other  woman ;  moreover,  she  liked  her 
and  was  going  to  like  her  more.  Impressions  were 
made  upon  her  almost  instantly,  for  good  or  bad, 
and  rarely  changed. 

She  turned  oftenest  to  Fitzgerald,  for  he  made 
particular  effort  to  entertain,  and  he  succeeded  bet- 


THE  DRAMA  BEGINS  209 

ter  than  he  dreamed.  It  kept  turning  over  in  her 
mind  what  a  whimsical,  capricious,  whirligig  was 
at  work.  It  was  droll,  this  man  at  her  side,  chatting 
to  her  as  if  he  had  known  her  for  years,  when,  seven 
or  eight  days  ago,  he  had  stood,  a  man  all  unknown 
to  her,  on  a  city  corner,  selling  plaster  of  Paris 
statuettes  on  a  wager;  and  but  for  Mrs.  Coldfield, 
she  had  passed  him  for  ever.  Out  upon  the  prude 
who  would  look  askance  at  her  for  harmless  daring ! 

"  Drop  into  my  room  before  you  turn  in,"  urged 
Fitzgerald  to  Cathewe. 

"That  I  shall,  my  boy.  I've  some  questions 
to  ask  of  you." 

But  a  singular  idea  came  into  creation,  and  this 
was  for  him,  Cathewe,  to  pay  Breitmann  a  visit  on 
the  way  to  Fitzgerald's  room.  Not  one  man  in  a 
thousand  would  have  dared  put  this  idea  into  a  plan 
of  action.  But  neither  externals  nor  conventions 
deterred  Cathewe  when  he  sought  a  thing.  He 
rapped  lightly  on  the  door  of  the  secretary's  room. 

"  Come  in." 

Cathewe  did  so,  gently  closing  the  door  behind 
him.  Breitmann  was  in  his  shirt-sleeves.  He  rose 
from  his  chair  and  laid  down  his  cigarette.  A  faint 


210  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

smile  broke  the  thin  line  of  his  mouth.  He  waited 
for  his  guest,  or,  rather,  this  intruder,  to  break  the 
silence.  And  as  Cathewe  did  not  speak  at  once, 
there  was  a  tableau  during  which  each  was  specu- 
latively  busy  with  the  eyes. 

"  The  vicissitudes  of  time,"  said  Cathewe,  "  have 
left  no  distinguishable  marks  upon  you." 

Breitmann  bowed.     He  remained  standing. 

And  Cathewe  had  no  wish  to  sit.  "  I  never  ex 
pected  to  see  you  in  this  house." 

"  A  compliment  which  I  readily  return." 

"  A  private  secretary;  I  never  thought  of  you  in 
that  capacity." 

"  One  must  take  what  one  can,"  tranquilly. 

"  A  good  precept."  Cathewe  rolled  the  ends  of 
his  mustache,  a  trifle  perplexed  how  to  put  it.  "  But 
there  should  be  exceptions.  What,"  and  his  voice 
became  crisp  and  cold,  "  what  was  Hildegarde  von 
Mitter  to  you?" 

"  And  what  is  that  to  you?  " 

"  My  question  first." 

"  I  choose  not  to  answer  it." 

Again  they  eyed  each  other  like  fencers. 

"  Were  you  married  ?  " 


211 

Breitmann  laughed.  Here  was  his  opportunity 
to  wring  this  man's  heart ;  for  he  knew  that  Cathewe 
loved  the  woman.  "  You  seem  to  be  in  her  confi 
dence.  Ask  her." 

"A  poltroon  would  say  as  much.  There  is  a 
phase  in  your  make-up  I  have  never  fully  under 
stood.  Physically  you  are  a  brave  man,  but  morally 
you  are  a  cad  and  a  poltroon." 

"  Take  care !  "  Breitmann  stepped  forward  men 
acingly. 

"  There  will  be  no  fisticuffs,"  contemptuously. 

"  Not  if  you  are  careful.  I  have  answered  your 
questions ;  you  had  better  leave  at  once." 

"  She  is  loyal  to  you.  It  was  not  her  voice  that 
broke  that  night ;  it  was  her  heart.  You  have  some 
hold  over  her." 

"  None  that  she  can  not  throw  off  at  any  time." 
Breitmann's  mind  was  working  strangely. 

"If  she  would  have  me  I  would  marry  her  to 
morrow,"  went  on  Cathewe,  playing  openly,  "  I 
would  marry  her  to-morrow,  priest  or  protestant, 
for  her  religion  would  be  mine." 

There  was  a  spark  of  admiration  in  Breitmamvs 
eyes.  This  man  Cathewe  was  out  of  the  ordinary. 


212  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Well,  as  for  that,  so  was  he  himself.  He  walked 
silently  to  the  door  and  opened  it,  standing  aside 
for  the  other  to  pass.  "  She  is  perfectly  free. 
Marry  her.  She  is  all  and  more  than  you  wish  her 
to  be.  Will  you  go  now  ?  " 

Cathewe  bowed  and  turned  on  his  heel.  [Breit- 
mann  had  really  got  the  better  of  him. 

A  peculiar  interview,  and  only  two  strong  men 
could  have  handled  it  in  so  few  wrords.  Not  a  word 
above  normal  tones ;  once  or  twice  only,  in  the  flutter 
of  the  eyelids  or  in  the  gesture  of  the  hands,  was 
there  any  sign  that  had  these  been  primitive  times 
the  two  would  have  gone  joyously  at  each  other's 
throats. 

"  I  owed  her  that  much,"  said  Breitmann  as  he 
locked  the  door. 

"  It  did  not  matter  at  all  to  me/'  was  Cathewe's 
thought,  as  he  knocked  on  Fitzgerald's  door  and 
heard  his  cheery  call,  "  I  only  wanted  to  know  what 
sort  of  man  he  is." 

"  OK,  I  really  don't  know  whether  I  like  him  or 
not,"  declared  Fitzgerald.  "  I  have  run  across  him 


THE  DRAMA  BEGINS  213 

two  or  three  times,  but  we  were  both  busy.  He  has 
told  me  a  little  about  himself.  He's  been  knocked 
about  a  good  deal.  Has  a  title,  but  doesn't  use  it." 

"A  title?  That  is  news  to  me.  Probably  it  is 
true." 

"  I  was  surprised  to  learn  that  you  knew  him  at 
all." 

"  Not  very  well.     Met  him  in  Munich  mostly." 

A  long  pause. 

"Isn't  Miss  Killigrew  just  rippin'?  There's  a 
comrade  for  some  man.  Lucky  devil,  who  gets 
her !  She  is  new  to  me  every  day." 

"  I  think  I  warned  you." 

"  You  were  a  nice  one,  never  to  say  a  word  that 
you  knew  the  admiral !  " 

"  Are  you  complaining?  " 

Fitzgerald  laughed;  no  not  exactly;  he  wasn't 
complaining. 

"  You  remember  the  caravan  trails  in  the  Lybian 
desert ;  the  old  ones  on  the  way  to  Khartoum  ?  The 
pathway  behind  her  is  like  that,  marked  with  the 
bleached  bones  of  princely  and  ducal  and  common 
hopes."  Cathewe  stretched  out  in  his  chair. 


214  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Since  she  was  eighteen,  Jack,  she  has  crossed  the 
man-trail  like  a  sandstorm,  and  quite  as  innocently, 
too." 

"  Oh,  rot !     I'm  no  green  and  salad  youth." 

"  Your  bones  will  be  only  the  tougher,  that's  all." 

Another  pause. 

"  But  what's  your  opinion  regarding  Breit- 
mann?  " 

Cathewe  laced  his  fingers  and  bent  his  chin  on 
them.  "  There's  a  great  rascal  or  a  great  hero 
somewhere  under  his  skin." 


CHAPTER  XV 

THEY   GO   A-SAILING 

FIVE  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  a  mild  blue 
sea  flashing  under  the  ever-deepening  orange 
of  the  falling  sun.  Golden  castles  and  gray  castles 
and  castles  of  shadowed-white  billowed  in  the  east; 
turrets  rose  and  subsided  and  spires  of  cloud-cities 
formed  and  re-formed.  The  yacht  Laura,  sleek  and 
swan-white,  her  ensign  and  colors  folding  and  un 
folding,  lifting  and  sinking,  as  the  shore  breeze 
stirred  them,  was  making  ready  for  sea;  and  many 
of  the  villagers  had  come  down  to  the  water  front 
to  see  her  off.  Very  few  sea-going  vessels,  outside 
of  freighters,  ever  stopped  in  this  harbor;  and  nat 
urally  the  departures  of  the  yacht  were  events 
equalled  only  by  her  arrivals.  The  railroad  station 
was  close  to  the  wharves,  and  the  old  sailors  hated 
the  sight  of  the  bright  rails ;  for  the  locomotive  had 
robbed  them  of  the  excitement  of  the  semi- weekly 

215 


2i6  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

packets  that  used  to  coast  up  and  down  between 
New  York  and  Philadelphia. 

"  Wonder  what  poor  devil  of  a  pirate  is  going  to 
have  his  bones  turned  over  this  trip  ?  "  said  the  sta 
tion-agent  to  Mr.  Donovan,  who,  among  others  on 
the  station  platform,  watched  the  drab  anchor  as  it 
clanked  jerkily  upward  to  the  bows,  leaving  a  swivel 
and  a  boil  on  the  waters  which  had  released  it  so 
grudgingly. 

"  I  guess  it  ain't  goin'  t*  be  any  ol'  pirate  this 
time,"  replied  Mr.  Donovan,  with  a  pleasurable 
squeeze  of  the  pocket-book  over  his  heart 

"  Well,  I  hope  he  finds  what  he's  going  after," 
generously.  "  He  is  the  mainstay  of  this  old  one- 
horse  town.  Say,  she's  a  beauty,  isn't  she  ?  Why, 
man,  that  anchor  alone  is  worth  more  than  we  make 
in  four  months.  And  think  of  the  good  things  to 
eat  and  drink.  If  I  had  a  million,  no  pirates  or 
butterflies  for  mine.  I'd  hie  me  to  Monte  Carlo  and 
bat  the  tiger  all  over  the  place." 

Mr.  Donovan  knew  nothing  definite  about  Monte 
Carlo,  but  he  would  have  liked  to  back  up  against 
some  of  those  New  York  contractors  on  their  own 
grounds. 


THEY  GO  A-SAILING  217 

"  Hi !  There  she  goes.  Good  luck !  "  cried  the 
station-agent,  swinging  his  hat  with  gusto. 

The  yacht  swam  out  gracefully.  There  was  a 
freshening  blow  from  the  southwest,  but  it  would 
take  the  yacht  half  an  hour  to  reach  the  deep-sea 
swells  outside.  Her  whistle  blew  cheerily  and  was 
answered  by  the  single  tug-boat  moored  to  the  rail 
road  wharf.  And  after  that  the  villagers  straggled 
back  to  their  various  daily  concerns.  Even  the 
landlord  of  Swan's  Hotel  sighed  as  he  balanced  up 
his  books.  Business  would  be  slack  for  some  days 
to  come. 

The  voyagers  were  gathered  about  the  stern-rail 
and  a  handkerchief  or  two  fluttered  in  the  wind. 
For  an  hour  they  tarried  there,  keeping  in  view  the 
green-wooded  hills  and  the  white  cottages  nestling 
at  their  base.  And  turn  by  turn  there  were  glimpses 
of  the  noble  old  house  at  the  top  of  the  hill.  And 
some  looked  upon  it  for  the  last  time. 

"  I've  had  a  jolly  time  up  there,"  said  Fitzgerald. 
The  gulls  swooped,  as  they  crossed  and  recrossed 
the  milky  wake.  "  Better  time  than  I  deserved." 

"  Are  you  still  worried  about  that  adventure  ?  " 


218  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Laura  demanded.  "  Dismiss  it  from  your  mind 
and  let  it  be  as  if  we  had  known  each  other  for  many 
years." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  that  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  I  do,"  promptly.  "  I  have  stepped 
to  the  time  of  convention  so  much  that  a  lapse  once 
in  a  while  is  a  positive  luxury.  But  Mrs.  Coldfield 
had  given  me  a  guaranty  before  I  addressed  you,  so 
the  adventure  was  only  a  make-believe  one  after 
all." 

There  never  was  a  girl  quite  like  this  one.  He 
purloined  a  sidelong  glance  at  her  which  embraced 
her  wholly,  from  the  chic  gray  cap  on  the  top  of  her 
shapely  head  to  the  sensible  little  boots  on  her  feet. 
She  wore  a  heavy,  plaid  coat,  with  deep  pockets 
into  which  her  hands  were  snugly  buried;  and  she 
stood  braced  against  the  swell  and  the  wind  which 
was  turning  out  strong  and  cold.  The  rich  pig 
ment  in  the  blood  mantled  her  cheeks  and  in  her 
eyes  there  was  still  a  bit  of  captive  sunshine.  He 
knew  now  that  what  had  been  only  a  possibility 
was  an  assured  fact.  Never  before  had  he  cursed 
his  father's  friends,  but  he  did  so  now,  silently  and 
earnestly ;  for  their  pilfering  fingers  and  their  plaus- 


THEY  GO  A-SAILING  219 

ible  lies  had  robbed  his  father's  son  of  a  fine  inher 
itance.  Money.  Never  had  he  desired  it  so  keenly. 
A  few  weeks  ago  it  had  meant  the  wherewithal  to 
pay  his  club-dues  and  to  support  a  decent  table  when 
he  traveled.  Now  it  was  everything;  for  without 
it  he  never  could  dare  lift  his  eyes  seriously  to  this 
lovely  picture  so  close  to  him,  let  alone  dream  of 
winning  her.  He  recalled  Cathewe's  light  warning 
about  the  bones  of  ducal  hopes.  What  earthly 
chance  had  he?  Unconsciously  he  shrugged. 

"You  are  shrugging!"  she  cried,  noting  the 
expression;  for,  if  he  was  secretly  observing  her, 
she  was  surreptitiously  contemplating  his  own  ad 
vantages. 

"Did  I  shrug?" 

"  You  certainly  did." 

"  Well,"  candidly,  "  it  was  the  thought  of  money 
that  made  me  do  it." 

"  I  detest  it,  too." 

"  Good  heavens,  I  didn't  say  I  detested  it !  What 
I  shrugged  about  was  my  own  dreary  lack  of  it." 

"  Bachelors  do  not  require  much." 

"  That's  true ;  but  I  no  longer  desire  to  remain 
a  bachelor,"  The  very  thing  that  saved  him  was 


220  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

the  added  laughter,  forced,  miserably  forced. 
Fool!  The  words  had  slipped  without  his  think 
ing. 

"  Gracious !  That  sounds  horribly  like  a  pro 
posal."  She  beamed  upon  him  merrily. 

And  his  heart  sank,  for  he  had  been  earnest 
enough,  for  all  his  blunder.  Manlike,  he  did  not 
grasp  the  fact  that  under  the  circumstance  merri 
ment  was  all  she  could  offer  him,  if  she  would  save 
him  from  his  own  stupidity. 

"  But  I  do  hate  money,"  she  reaffirmed 
"  I  shouldn't.     Think  of  what  it  brings." 
"I  do ;  begging  letters,  impostures,  battle-scarred 
titles,  humbugging  shop-keepers,  and  perhaps  one 
honest  friend  in  a  thousand.     And  if  I  married  a 
title,  what  equivalent  would  I  get  for  my  money, 
to  put  it  brutally  ?     A  chateau,  which  I  should  have 
to  patch  up,  and  tolerance  from  my  husband's  noble 
friends.     Not  an  engaging  prospect." 

She  threw  a  handful  of  biscuit  to  the  gulls,  and 
there  was  fighting  and  screaming  almost  in  touch  of 
the  hands.  Then  of  a  sudden  the  red  rim  of  the 
sun  vanished  behind  the  settling  landscape,  and  all 


THEY  GO  A-S AILING  221 

the  grim  loneliness  of  the  sea  rose  up  to  greet 
them. 

"  It  is  lonely ;  let  us  go  and  prepare  for  dinner. 
Look !  "  pointing  to  a  bright  star  far  down  the  east. 
"  And  Corsica  lies  that  way." 

"  And  also  madness !  "  was  his  thought. 

"  Oh,  it  seems  not  quite  true  that  we  are  all  going 
a-venturing  as  they  do  in  the  story-books.  The 
others  think  we  are  just  going  to  Funchal.  Re 
member,  you  must  not  tell.  Think  of  it;  a  real 
treasure,  every  franc  of  which  must  tell  a  story  of 
its  own ;  love,  heroism  and  devotion." 

"  Beautiful !  But  there  must  be  a  rescuing  of 
princesses  and  fighting  and  all  that.  I  choose  the 
part  of  remaining  by  the  princess." 

"  It  is  yours."  She  tilted  back  her  head  and 
breathed  and  breathed.  She  knew  the  love  of  liv 
ing. 

"  Lucky  we  are  all  good  sailors,"  he  said. 
"  There  will  be  a  fair  sea  on  all  night.  But  how 
well  she  rides !  " 

"  I  love  every  beam  and  bolt  of  her." 

Shoulder  to  shoulder  they  bore  forward  to  the 


222  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

companionway,  and  immediately  the  door  banged 
after  them. 

Breitmann  came  out  from  behind  the  funnel  and 
walked  the  deck  for  a  time.  He  had  studied  the 
two  from  his  shelter.  What  were  they  saying? 
Oh,  Fitzgerald  was  clever  and  strong  and  good  to 
look  at,  but  .  .  .  !  Breitmann  straightened 
his  arms  before  him,  opened  and  shut  his  hands 
violently.  Like  that  he  would  break  him  if  he  in 
terfered  with  any  of  his  desires.  It  would  be  fully 
twenty  days  before  they  made  Ajaccio.  Many 
things  might  happen  before  that  time. 

Two  or  three  of  the  crew  were  lashing  on  the 
rail-canvas,  and  the  snap  and  flap  of  it  jarred  on 
Breitmann's  nerves.  For  a  week  or  more  his  nerves 
had  been  very  close  to  the  surface,  so  close  that  it 
had  required  all  his  will  to  keep  his  voice  and  hands 
from  shaking.  As  he  passed,  one  of  the  sailors 
doffed  his  cap  and  bowed  with  great  respect. 

"  That's  not  the  admiral,  Alphonse,"  whispered 
another  of  the  crew,  chuckling.  "  It's  only  his  pri- 
vit  secretary." 

"Ah,  Ihaf  meestake!" 

But  Alphonse  had  made  no  mistake.     He  knew 


THEY  GO  A- SAILING  223 

who  it  was.  His  mates  did  not  see  the  smile  of 
irony,  of  sly  ridicule,  which  stirred  his  lips  as  he 
bowed  to  the  passer.  Immediately  his  rather  hand 
some  effeminate  face  resumed  a  stolid  vacuity. 

His  name  was  not  Alphonse;  it  was  a  captious 
offering  by  the  crew,  which,  on  this  yacht,  never 
went  further  than  to  tolerate  the  addition  of  a  for 
eigner  to  their  mess.  He  had  signed  a  day  or  two 
before  sailing;  he  had  even  begged  for  the  honor 
to  ship  with  Captain  Flanagan;  and  he  gave  his 
name  as  Pierre  Picard,  to  which  he  had  no  more 
right  than  to  Alphonse.  As  Captain  Flanagan  was 
too  good  a  sailor  himself  to  draw  distinctions,  he 
was  always  glad  to  add  a  foreign  tongue  to  his  crew. 
You  never  could  tell  when  its  use  might  come  in 
handy.  That  is  why  Pierre  Picard  was  allowed  to 
drink  his  soup  in  the  forecastle  mess. 

Breitmann  continued  on,  oblivious  to  all  things 
save  his  cogitations.  He  swung  round  the  bridge. 
He  believed  that  he  and  Cathewe  could  henceforth 
proceed  on  parallel  lines,  and  there  was  much  to 
be  grateful  for.  Cathewe  was  quiet  but  deep;  and 
he,  Breitmann,  had  knocked  about  among  that  sort 
and  knew  that  they  were  to  be  respected.  In  all, 


224  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

he  had  made  only  one  serious  blunder.  He  should 
never  have  permitted  the  vision  of  a  face  to  deter 
him.  He  should  have  taken  the  things  from  the 
safe  and  vanished.  It  had  not  been  a  matter  of 
compunction.  And  yet  ...  Ah,  he  was  hu 
man,  whatever  his  dream  might  be;  and  he  loved 
this  American  girl  with  all  his  heart  and  mind.  It 
was  not  lawless  love,  but  it  was  ruthless.  When 
the  time  was  ripe  he  would  speak.  Only  a  little 
while  now  to  wait.  The  course  had  smoothed  out, 
the  sailing  was  easy.  The  man  in  the  chimney  no 
longer  bothered  him.  Whoever  and  whatever  he 
was,  he  had  not  shot  his  bolt  soon  enough. 

Hildegarde  von  Mitter.  He  stopped  against  the 
rail.  The  yacht  was  burying  her  nose  now,  and 
the  white  drift  from  her  cut-water  seemed  strangely 
luminous  as  it  swirled  obliquely  away  in  the  fading 
twilight.  Hildegarde  von  Mitter.  Was  she  to  be 
the  flaw  in  the  chain?  No,  no;  there  should  be  no 
regret;  he  had  steeled  his  heart  against  any  such 
weakness.  She  had  been  necessary,  and  he  would 
be  a  fool  to  pause  over  a  bit  of  sentimentality.  Her 
appearance  had  disorganized  his  nerves,  that  was 


THEY  GO  A-SAILING  225 

all.  Peering  into  his  watch  he  found  that  he  had 
only  half  an  hour  before  dinner.  And  it  may  be 
added  that  he  dressed  with  singular  care. 

So  did  Fitzgerald,  for  that  matter. 

It  took  Cathewe  just  as  long,  but  he  did  not 
make  two  or  three  selections  of  this  or  that  before 
finding  what  he  wanted.  He  was  engrossed  most 
of  the  time  in  the  sober  contemplation  of  the  rubber 
flooring  or  the  running  sea  outside  the  port-hole. 

And  this  night  Hildegarde  von  Mitter  was  med 
itating  on  the  last  throw  for  her  hopes.  She  de 
termined  to  cast  once  more  the  full  sun  of  her 
beauty  into  the  face  of  the  man  she  loved;  and  if 
she  failed  to  win,  the  fault  would  not  be  hers.  Why 
could  she  not  tear  out  this  maddening  heart  of  hers 
and  fling  it  to  the  sea  ?  Why  could  she  not  turn  it 
toward  the  man  who  loved  her?  Why,  why? 
Why  should  God  make  her  so  unhappy  ?  Why  such 
injustice?  Why  this  twisted  interlacing  of  lives? 
And  yet,  amid  all  these  futile  seekings,  with  sub 
conscious  deftness  her  hands  went  on  with  their 
appointed  work.  Never  again  would  the  splendor 
of  her  beauty  burn  as  it  did  this  night. 


226  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Laura,  alone  among  them  all,  went  serenely  about 
her  toilet.  She  was  young,  and  love  had  not  yet 
spread  its  puzzle  before  her  feet. 

As  for  the  others,  they  were  on  the  far  side  of  the 
hill,  whence  the  paths  are  smooth  and  gentle  and  the 
prospect  is  peace  fulness  and  the  retrospect  is  dimly 
rosal.  They  dressed  as  they  had  done  those  twenty 
odd  years,  plainly. 

On  the  bridge  the  first  officer  was  standing  at  the 
captain's  side. 

"  Captain,"  he  shouted,  "  where  did  you  get  that 
Frenchman  ?  " 

"  Picked  him  up  day  before  yestiddy.  Speaks 
fair  English  an'  a  bit  o'  Dago.  They're  allus  handy 
on  a  pleasure-boat.  He  c'n  keep  off  th'  riffraff 
boatmen.  An'  you  know  what  persistent  cusses 
they  be  in  the  Med'terranean.  Why  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothing,  if  he's  a  good  sailor.  Notice  his 
hands?" 

"Why,  no!" 

"  Soft  as  a  woman's." 

"  Y'  don't  say !  Well,  we'll  see  'em  tough'  enougH 
before  we  sight  Funchal.  Smells  good  up  here; 
huh?" 


THEY  GO  A-SAILING  227 

"  Yes ;  but  I  don't  mind  three  months  on  land, 
full  pay.  Not  me.  But  this  Frenchman  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  had  good  papers  from  a  White  Star 
liner;  an'  you  can  leave  it  to  me  regardin'  his  lily- 
white  hands.  By  th'  way,  George,  will  you  have 
them  bring  up  my  other  leg?  Th'  salt  takes  th' 
color  out  o'  this  here  brass  ferrule,  an'  rubber's 
safer." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

There  was  one  vacant  chair  in  the  dining-salon. 
M.  Ferraud  was  indisposed.  He  could  climb  the 
highest  peak,  he  could  cross  ice-ridges,  with  a  sheer 
mile  on  either  side  of  him,  with  never  an  attack  of 
vertigo;  but  this  heaving  mystery  under  his  feet 
always  got  the  better  of  him  the  first  day  out.  He 
considered  it  the  one  flaw  in  an  otherwise  perfect 
system.  Thus,  he  missed  the  comedy  and  the  trag 
edy  of  the  eyes  at  dinner,  nor  saw  a  woman  throw 
her  all  and  lose  it. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

CROSS-PURPOSES 

I  ( T  S  there  anything  I  can  do  for  you  ?  "  asked 

JL  Fitzgerald,  venturing  his  head  into  M.  Fer- 
raud's  cabin. 

"Nothing;  to-morrow  it  will  all  be  gone".  I  am 
always  so.  The  miserable  water ! "  M.  Ferraud 
drew  the  blanket  under  his  chin. 

"  When  you  are  better  I  should  like  to  ask  you 
some  questions." 

"  My  friend,  you  have  been  very  good.  I  prom 
ise  to  tell  you  all  when  the  time  comes.  It  will  in 
terest  you." 

"Breitmann?" 

"  What  makes  you  think  I  am  interested  in  Mr. 
Breitmann  ?  " 

Fitzgerald  could  not  exactly  tell.  "  Perhaps  I 
have  noticed  you  watching  him." 

228 


CROSS-PURPOSES  229 

"  Ah,  you  have  good  eyes,  Mr.  Fitzgerald.  Have 
you  observed  that  I  have  been  watching  you  also?  " 

"  Yes.  You  haven't  been  quite  sure  of  me." 
Fitzgerald  smiled  a  little.  "  But  you  may  rest  your 
mind.  I  never  break  my  word." 

"  Nor  do  I,  my  friend.  Have  patience.  Satan 
take  these  small  boats ! "  He  stiffled  a  groan. 

"  A  little  champagne?  " 

"  Nothing,  nothing ;  thank  you." 

"  As  you  will.     Good  night." 

Fitzgerald  shut  the  door  and  returned  to  the 
smoking-room.  Something  or  other,  concerning 
Breitmann;  he  was  sure  of  it.  What  had  he  done, 
or  what  was  he  going  to  do,  that  France  should 
watch  him  ?  There  was  no  doubt  in  his  mind  now ; 
Breitmann  had  known  of  this  treasure  and  had  come 
to  The  Pines  simply  to  put  his  hands  on  the  casket. 
M.  Ferraud  had  tried  to  forestall  him.  This  much 
of  the  riddle  was  plain.  But  the  pivots  upon  which 
these  things  turned!  There  was  something  more 
than  a  treasure  in  the  balance.  Well,  M.  Ferraud 
had  told  him  to  wait.  There  was  nothing  else  for 
him  to  do. 

A  little  rubber  at  bridge  was  in  progress.     The 


230  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

admiral  was  playing  with  Mrs.  Coldfield  and 
Cathewe  sat  opposite  Hildegarde.  The  latter  two 
were  losing.  She  was  ordinarily  a  skilful  player, 
as  Cathewe  knew;  but  to-night  she  lost  constantly, 
was  reckless  with  her  leads,  and  played  carelessly 
into  her  opponents'  hands.  Cathewe  watched  her 
gravely.  Never  had  he  seen  her  more  beautiful; 
and  the  apprehension  that  she  would  never  be  his 
was  like  a  hand  straining  over  his  heart. 

Yes,  she  was  beautiful;  but  he  did  not  know  that 
there  was  death  in  her  eyes  and  death  in  her  smile. 
Once  upon  a  time  he  had  believed  that  her  heart 
had  broken;  but  she  was  learning  that  the  heart 
breaks,  rebreaks,  and  breaks  again. 

How  many  times  he  stood  on  the  precipice  dur 
ing  the  dinner  hour,  Breitmann  doubtless  would 
never  be  told.  A  woman  scorned  is  an  old 
story;  still,  the  story  goes  on,  retold  each  day. 
Education  may  smooth  the  externals,  but  under 
neath  the  fire  burns  just  as  furiously  as  of  old.  To 
this  affront  the  average  woman's  mind  leaps  at  once 
to  revenge;  and  that  she  does  not  always  take  it 
depends  upon  two  things:  opportunity,  and  love, 
which  is  more  powerful  than  revenge.  Sometimes, 


CROSS-PURPOSES  231 

on  hot  summer  nights,  clouds  form  angrily  in  the 
distance;  vivid  flashes  dartle  hither  and  about, 
which  serve  to  intensify  the  evening  darkness. 
Thus,  a  similar  phenomenon  was  taking  place  in 
Hildegarde  von  Hitter's  mind.  The  red  fires  of 
revenge  danced  before  her  eyes,  blurring  the  spots 
on  the  cards,  the  blackness  of  despair  crowding  upon 
each  flash.  Let  him  beware!  With  a  word  she 
could  shatter  his  dream;  ay,  and  so  she  would. 
What!  sit  there  and  let  him  turn  the  knife  in  her 
heart  and  receive  the  pain  meekly?  No!  It  was 
the  thoughtless  brutality  with  which  he  went  about 
this  new  affair  that  bit  so  poignantly.  To  show  her, 
so  indurately,  that  she  was  nothing,  that,  despite  her 
magnificent  sacrifice,  she  had  never  been  more  than 
a  convenience,  was  maddening.  There  was  no 
spontaneity  in  his  heart;  his  life  was  a  calculation 
to  which  various  sums  were  added  or  subtracted. 
With  all  her  beauty,  intellect,  genius  and  generosity, 
she  had  not  been  able  to  stir  him  as  this  young  girl 
was  unconsciously  doing.  She  held  no  animosity 
for  the  daughter  of  her  host;  she  was  clear-visioned 
enough  to  put  the  wrong  where  it  belonged. 
"  It  is  your  lead,"  said  the  admiral  patiently. 


232  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Pardon  me !  "  contritely.  The  gentle  reproach 
brought  her  back  to  the  surroundings. 

"  It  is  the  motion  of  the  boat,"  hazarded  Cathewe, 
as  he  saw  her  lead  the  ace.  "  I  often  find  myself 
losing  count  in  waiting  for  the  next  roll." 

"  Mr.  Cathewe  is  very  kind,"  she  replied.  "  The 
truth  is,  however,  I  am  simply  stupid  to-night." 

Breitmann  continued  to  speak  lowly  to  Laura. 
He  was  evidently  amusing,  for  she  smiled  fre 
quently.  Nevertheless,  she  smiled  as  often  upon 
Fitzgerald.  Never  a  glance  toward  the  woman 
who  held  his  fortunes,  as  they  both  believed,  in  the 
hollow  of  her  hand.  Breitmann  appeared  to  have 
forgotten  her  existence. 

When  the  rubber  was  finished  Cathewe  came  into 
the  breach  by  suggesting  that  they  two,  he  and  his 
partner,  should  take  the  air  for  a  while ;  and  Hilde- 
garde  thanked  him  with  her  eyes.  They  tramped 
the  port  side,  saying  nothing  but  thinking  much. 
His  arm  was  under  hers  to  steady  her,  and  he  could 
feel  the  catch  each  time  she  breathed,  as  when  one 
stifles  sobs  that  are  tearless.  Ah,  to  hold  her  close 
and  to  shield  her;  but  a  thousand  arms  may  not 


CROSS-PURPOSES  233 

intervene  between  the  heart  and  the  pain  that  stabs 
it.  He  knew;  he  knew  all  about  it,  and  there  was 
murder  in  his  thought  whenever  his  thought  was  of 
Breitmann.  To  be  alone  with  him  somewhere,  and 
to  fight  it  out  with  their  bare  hands. 

She  had  been  schooled  in  the  art  of  acting,  but 
not  in  the  art  of  dissimulation;  she  had  been  of  the 
world  without  having  been  worldly;  and  sometimes 
she  was  as  frank  and  simple  as  a  child.  And 
worldliness  makes  a  buffer  in  times  like  these. 
Cathewe  thanked  God  for  his  own  shell,  toughened 
as  it  had  been  in  the  war  of  life. 

"  Look !  "  he  exclaimed,  thankful  for  the  'diver 
sion.  "  There  goes  a  big  liner  for  Sandy  Hook. 
How  cheerful  she  looks  with  all  her  lights !  Every 
body's  busy  there.  There  will  be  greetings  to-mor 
row,  among  the  sundry  curses  of  those  who  have  not 
declared  their  Parisian  models." 

They  paused  by  the  rail  and  followed  the  great 
ship  till  all  the  lights  had  narrowed  and  melted  into 
one;  and  then,  almost  at  once,  the  limitless  circle 
of  pitching  black  water  seemed  tenanted  by  them 
selves  alone. 


234  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Without  warning  she  bent  swiftly  and  kissed  the 
hand  which  lay  upon  the  rail.  "  How  kind  you  are 
to  me ! " 

"  Oh,  pshaw!  "  But  the  touch  of  her  lips  shook 
his  soul. 

Cathewe  was  one  of  those  sure,  quiet  men,  a  staff 
to  lean  on,  that  a  woman  may  find  once  in  a  life 
time.  They  are,  as  a  usual  thing,  always  loving 
deeply  and  without  success,  but  always  invariably 
cheerful  and  buoyant,  genuine  philosophers.  They 
are  not  given  much  to  writing  sonnets  or  posing; 
and  they  can  stand  aside  with  a  brave  heart  as  the 
other  man  takes  the  dream  out  of  their  lives.  This 
is  not  to  affirm  that  they  do  not  fight  stoutly  to  hold 
this  dream;  simply,  that  they  accept  defeat  like  good 
soldiers.  There  are  many  heroes  who  have  never 
heard  war's  alarms.  He  knew  that  the  whole  heart 
of  Hildegarde  von  Mitter  had  yielded  to  another. 
But  it  had  been  thrown,  as  it  were,  against  a  wall; 
there  was  this  one  hope,  dimly  burning,  that  some 
day  he  might  catch  it  on  the  rebound. 

"  Why  are  not  all  men  like  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  The  world  would  not  be  half  so  interesting. 
Some  men  shall  be  fortunate  and  others  shall  not; 


CROSS-PURPOSES  235 

everything  has  to  balance  in  some  way.  I  am  neces 
sary  to  one  side  of  the  scales,  as  a  weight."  He 
spoke  with  a  levity  he  by  no  means  felt. 

"  You  are  always  making  sport  of  yourself." 

"  Would  it  be  wise  to  weep  ?  Not  at  all.  I 
laugh  because  I  enjoy  it,  just  the  same  as  I  enjoy 
hunting  or  going  on  voyages  of  discovery." 

"  To  have  met  you!"  childishly. 

"  Don't  talk  like  that.  It  always  makes  me  less 
sad  than  furious.  And  how  do  you  know?  If  it 
had  been  written  that  you  should  care  for  me,  would 
any  one  else  have  mattered  ?  No.  It  just  is,  that's 
all.  So  we'll  go  on  as  we  have  done  in  the  past, 
good  friends.  Call  me  when  you  need  me,  and 
wherever  I  am  I  shall  come." 

"  How  pitifully  weak  I  must  seem  to  you!  " 

"  You  would  be  no  happier  if  you  wore  a  mask. 
Hildegarde,  what  has  happened?  What  power  has 
this  adventurer  over  you?  I  can  not  understand. 
He  was  man  enough  to  say  that  you  were  guiltless 
of  any  wrong." 

"  He  said  that  ?  "  turning  upon  him  sharply.  She 
could  forgive  much. 

He  could  not  see  her  face,  but  by  the  tone  of  her 


236  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

voice  he  knew  it  had  brightened.  "  Yes.  I  did  a 
freakish  thing  the  night  we  arrived  at  the  Killi- 
grews'.  I  forced  him  into  a  corner,  but  it  did  not 
pan  out  as  I  hoped.  So  far  as  it  touched  me,  it 
wasn't  necessary,  as  I  have  told  you  a  thousand 
times.  Your  past  is  nothing  to  me;  your  future  is 
everything,  and  I  want  it,  God  knows  how  I  want  it ! 
Well,  I  wished  to  find  out  what  kind  of  man  he  is, 
but  I  wasn't  very  successful.  Hildegarde,"  and  he 
pressed  his  hand  down  hard  over  hers,  "  I  could  find 
a  priest  the  day  we  land  if  you  would  love  me.  You 
will  always  remember  that." 

"As  if  I  could  ever  forget  your  kindness!  But 
you  forced  him;  there  is  no  merit  in  such  a  con 
fession.  And  I  wonder  how  you  forced  him.  It 
was  not  by  fear.  Much  as  I  know  him  there  are 
still  some  unfilled  pages.  I  would  call  him  a  scoun 
drel  did  I  not  know  that  in  parts  he  has  been  a  hero. 
What  sacrifices  the  man  has  made,  and  with  what 
patience !  " 

"  To  what  end?  "  quietly. 

"  No,  no,  Arthur!     I  have  promised  him." 

He  took  her  by  the  arm  roughly.     "  Let  us  make 


CROSS-PURPOSES  237 

two  or  three  rounds  and  go  back.  We  shan't  grow 
any  more  cheerful  talking  this  way." 

"  He  loves  her.  I  saw  it  in  his  eyes ;  and  I  must 
stand  aside  and  watch !  " 

"  So  must  I,"  he  said.  "  Aren't  you  just  a  little 
selfish,  Hildegarde  ?  " 

"  I  am  wretched,  Arthur ;  and  I  am  a  fool,  be 
sides.  Oh,  that  I  were  cold-blooded  like  your 
women,  that  I  could  eat  out  my  heart  in  secret ;  but 
I  can't,  I  can't!" 

"But  you  have  courage;  only  use  it.  If  what 
you  say  of  him  is  true,  rest  easy.  She  is  not  in  his 
orbit.  She  will  not  be  impressed  by  an  adventurer 
of  his  breed." 

"  Thank  you !  "  with  a  broken  laugh.  "  I  am 
only  an  opera-singer,  here  on  suffrance." 

"  Oh,  good  Lord !  I  did  not  mean  it  that  way. 
Let  us  finish  the  walk,"  savagely. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  out,  tea  was 
served  under  the  awning,  and  Captain  Flanagan 
condescended  to  leave  his  bridge  for  half  an  hour. 
Through  a  previous  hint  dropped  by  the  admiral 


' 


238  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

they  lured  the  captain  into  spinning  yarns ;  and 
well-salted  hair-breadth  escapes  they  were.  He  un 
derstood  that  the  admiral's  guests  always  expected 
these  flights,  and  he  was  in  nowise  niggard.  An 
ordinary  sailor  would  have  been  dead  these  twenty 
years,  under  any  one  of  the  exploits. 

"  Marvelous !  "  said  M.  Ferraud  from  the  depths 
of  his  rugs.  "  And  he  still  lives  to  tell  it?  " 

"  It's  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world,  sir,  if  y' 
know  how,"  the  captain  declared  complacently.  In 
deed,  he  had  recounted  these  yarns  so  many  times 
that  he  was  beginning  to  regard  them  as  facts.  His 
statement,  ambiguous  as  it  was,  passed  unchallenged, 
however;  for  not  one  had  the  daring  to  inquire 
whether  he  referred  to  the  telling  or  the  living  of 
them.  So  he  believed  that  he  was  looked  upon  as 
an  apostle  of  truth.  Only  the  admiral  had  the 
temerity  to  look  his  captain  squarely  in  the  eye  and 
wink. 

"  Captain,  would  you  mind  if  I  put  these  tales  in 
a  book  ?  "  Fitzgerald  put  this  question  with  a  se 
riousness  which  fooled  no  one  but  the  captain. 

"You  come  up  t'  the  bridge  some  afternoon, 
when  we've  got  a  smooth  sea,  and  I'll  give  y'  some 


CROSS-PURPOSES  239 

real  ones."  The  captain's  vanity  was  soothed,  but 
he  was  not  aware  that  he  had  put  doubt  upon  his 
own  veracity. 

"  That's  kind  of  you." 

"  An'  say ! "  went  on  the  captain,  drinking  his 
tea,  not  because  he  liked  it  but  because  it  was  cus 
tomary,  "  I've  got  a  character  forwards.  I'm  allus 
shippin'  odds  and  ends.  Got  a  Frenchman;  hands 
like  a  lady." 

Breitmann  leaned  forward,  and  M.  Ferraud 
sat  up. 

"  Yessir,"  continued  the  captain ;  "  speaks  I-taly- 
an  an'  English.  An'  if  I  ever  meets  a  lady  with 
long  soft  hands  like  his'n,  I'm  for  a  pert  talk, 
straightway." 

"What's  the  matter  with  his  hands?"  asked  the 
admiral. 

"  Why,  Commodore,  they're  as  soft  as  Miss 
Laura's  here,  an'  yet  when  th'  big  Swede  who 
handles  th'  baggage  was  a-foolin'  with  him  this 
mornin',  it  was  the  Swede  who  begs  off.  Nary  a 
callous,  an'  yet  he  bowls  the  big  one  round  the  deck 
like  he  was  a  liner  being  pierced  by  a  sassy  tug.  An' 
what  gets  me  is,  he  knows  every  bolt  from  stem  to 


240  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

stern,  sir,  an'  an  all-round  good  sailor  int'  th'  bar 
gain;  an'  it  don'  take  me  more'n  twelve  hours  t' 
find  that  out.  Well,  I'm  off  t'  th'  bridge.  Good 
day,  ladies." 

When  he  was  out  of  earshot  the  admiral  roared. 
"  He's  the  dearest  old  liar  since  Miinchhausen." 

"  Aren't  they  true  stories  ?  "  asked  Hildegarde. 

"  Bless  you,  no !  And  he  knows  we  know  it,  too. 
But  he  tells  them  so  well  that  I've  never  had  the 
courage  to  sheer  him  off." 

"  It's  amusing,"  said  Laura ;  "  but  I  do  not  think 
that  it's  always  fair  to  him." 

"  Why,  Laura,  you're  as  good  a  listener  as  any 
I  know.  Read  him  a  tract,  if  you  wish." 

Breitmann  rose  presently  and  sauntered  forward, 
while  M.  Ferraud  snuggled  down  in  his  rugs  again. 
The  others  entered  into  a  game  of  deck-cricket. 

But  M.  Ferraud  was  not  so  ill  that  he  was  unable 
to  steal  from  his  cabin  at  half  after  nine,  at  night, 
without  even  the  steward  being  aware  of  his  de 
parture.  It  can  not  be  said  that  he  roamed  about 
the  deck,  for  whenever  he  moved  it  was  in  the 
shadow,  and  always  forward.  By  and  by  voices 
drifted  down  the  wind.  One  he  knew  and  ex- 


CROSS-PURPOSES  241 

pected,  Breitmann's ;  of  the  other  he  was  not  sure, 
though  the  French  he  spoke  was  of  classic  smooth 
ness.  M.  Ferraud  was  exceedingly  interested.  He 
had  been  waiting  for  this  meeting.  Only  a  phrase 
or  two  could  be  heard  distinctly.  But  words  were 
not  necessary.  What  he  desired  above  all  things 
was  a  glimpse  of  this  Frenchman's  face.  After 
several  minutes  Breitmann  went  aft.  M.  Ferraud 
stepped  out  cautiously,  and  luck  was  with  him.  The 
sailor  to  whom  Breitmann  had  spoken  so  earnestly 
was  lolling  against  the  rail,  in  the  act  of  lighting  a 
cigarette.  The  light  from  the  match  was  feeble, 
but  it  sufficed  the  keen  eyes  of  the  watcher.  He 
gasped  a  little.  Strong  hands  indeed !  Here  in  the 
garb  of  a  common  sailor,  was  one  of  the  foremost 
Orleanists  in  France! 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A   QUESTION   FROM    KEATS 

BREITMANN  and  the  admiral  usually  worked 
from  ten  till  luncheon,  unless  it  was  too 
stormy;  and  then  the  admiral  took  the  day  off. 
The  business  under  hand  was  of  no  great  moment; 
it  was  rather  an  outlet  for  the  admiral's  energy, 
and  gave  him  something  to  look  forward  to  as  each 
day  came  round.  Many  a  morning  he  longed  for 
the  quarter-deck  of  his  old  battle-ship ;  the  trig  crew 
and  marines  lined  up  for  inspection ;  the  revelries  of 
the  foreign  ports;  the  great  manoeuvres;  the  target 
practice.  Never  would  his  old  heart  swell  again 
under  the  full-dress  uniform  nor  his  eyes  sparkle 
under  the  plume  of  his  rank.  He  was  retired  on 
half-pay.  Only  a  few  close  friends  knew  how  his 
half-pay  was  invested.  There  remained  perhaps 
ten  of  the  old  war-crew,  and  among  them  every 
Christmas  the  admiral's  half-pay  was  divided. 

242 


A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS         243 

This  and  his  daughter  were  the  two  unalloyed  joys 
of  his  life. 

Since  his  country  had  no  further  use  for  him, 
and  as  it  was  as  necessary  as  air  to  his  lungs  that 
he  tread  the  deck  of  a  ship,  he  had  purchased  the 
Laura;  and,  when  he  was  not  stirring  up  the  bones 
of  dead  pirates,  he  was  at  Cowes  or  at  Brest  or  at 
Keil  or  on  the  Hudson,  wherever  the  big  fellows 
indulged  in  mimic  warfare. 

"  That  will  be  all  this  morning,  Mr.  Breitmann," 
he  said,  rising  and  looking  out  of  the  port-hole. 

"  Very  well,  sir.  I  believe  that  by  the  time  we 
make  Corsica  we  shall  have  the  book  ready  for  the 
printers.  It  is  very  interesting." 

"  Much  obliged.  You  have  been  a  good  aid.  As 
you  know,  I  am  writing  this  rubbish  only  because  it 
is  play  and  passable  mental  exercise." 

"  I  do  not  agree  with  you  there,"  returned  the 
secretary,  with  his  pleasant  smile.  "  The  book  will 
be  really  a  treasure  of  itself.  It  is  far  more  inter 
esting  than  any  romance." 

The  admiral  shook  his  head  dubiously. 

"  No,  no,"  Breitmann  averred.  "  There  is  no 
flattery  in  what  I  say.  Flattery  was  not  in  our 


244  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

agreement.  And,"  with  a  slight  lift  of  the  jaw, 
"  I  never  say  what  I  do  not  honestly  mean.  It  will 
be  a  good  book,  and  I  am  proud  to  have  had  a  hand, 
however  light,  in  the  making." 

The  admiral  chuckled.  "  That  is  the  kind  of 
flattery  no  man  may  shut  his  ears  to.  It  has  been  a 
great  pleasure  to  me ;  it  has  kept  me  out-of-doors,  in 
the  open,  where  I  belong.  Come  in,  Laura,  come 
in." 

The  girl  stood  framed  in  the  low  doorway,  a 
charming  picture  to  the  old  man  and  a  lovely  one 
to  the  secretary.  She  balanced  herself  with  a  hand 
on  each  side  of  the  jam. 

"  Father,  how  can  you  work  when  the  sun  is  so 
beautiful  outside?  Good  morning,  Mr.  Breit- 
mann,"  cordially. 

"  Good  morning." 

"Work  is  over,  Laura.  Come  in."  The  ad 
miral  reached  forth  an  arm  and  caught  her,  draw 
ing  her  gently  in  and  finally  to  his  breast. 

Breitmann  would  have  given  an  eye  for  that  right. 
The  picture  set  his  nerves  twitching. 

"  I  am  not  in  the  way  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  answered  the  secretary.     "  I  was 


A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS         245 

just  leaving."  And  with  good  foresight  he  passed 
out. 

"  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  for  ever,"  murmured 
the  admiral. 

"  Fudge !  "  and  she  laughed. 

"  We  are  having  a  fine  voyage." 

"  Splendid !     Why  is  it  that  I  am  always  happy  ?  " 

"  It  is  because  you  do  not  depend  upon  others  for 
it,  my  dear.  I  am  happy,  too.  I  am  as  happy  as  a 
boy  with  his  first  boat.  But  never  has  a  ship  gone 
slower  than  this  one  of  mine.  I  am  simply  crazy 
to  drop  anchor  in  the  Gulf  of  Ajaccio.  I  find  it 
on  the  tip  of  my  tongue,  every  night  at  dinner,  to 
tell  the  others  where  we  are  bound." 

"  Why  not  ?     Where's  the  harm  now  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  but  something  keeps  it  back. 
Laura,"  looking  into  her  eyes,  "  did  we  ever  cruise 
with  brighter  men  on  board  ?  " 

"  What  is  it  you  wish  to  know,  father  ?  "  merrily. 
;<You  dear  old  sailor,  don't  you  understand  that 
these  men  are  different?  They  are  men  who  ac 
complish  things;  they  haven't  time  to  bother  about 
young  women." 

"  You  don't  say !  "  pinching  the  ear  nearest. 


246  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  This  is  the  seventh  day  out,  and  not  one  of  them 
has  ceased  to  be  interesting  yet." 

"  Would  they  cease  to  be  interesting  if  they  pro 
posed?"  quizzing. 

These  two  had  no  unshared  secrets.  They  were 
sure  of  each  other.  He  knew  that  when  this  child 
of  his  divided  her  affection  with  another  man,  that 
man  would  be  deserving. 

"  I  would  rather  have  them  all  as  they  are. 
They  make  fine  comrades." 

He  sighed  thankfully.  "  Arthur  seems  to  be  out 
of  the  race." 

"Rather  say  I  am!"  with  laughter.  "Why,  a 
child  could  read  Arthur  Cathewe's  face  when  he 
looks  at  her.  Isn't  she  simply  beautiful?  " 

"  Very.     But  there  are  types  and  types." 

"  Am  I  really  pretty  ?  "  Sometimes  she  grew 
shy  under  her  father's  open  admiration.  She  was 
afraid  it  was  his  love  rather  than  his  judgment 
that  made  her  beautiful  in  his  eyes. 

"  My  child,  there's  more  than  one  man  who  will 
agree  with  me  when  I  say  that  there  is  no  one  to 
compare  with  you.  You  are  the  living  quotation 
from  Keats." 


A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS         247 

"  I  shall  kiss  you  for  that."  And  straightway 
she  did. 

"What  do  you  think  of  Mr.  Breitmann  ?  "  so 
berly. 

"  He  is  charming  sometimes ;  but  he  has  a  little 
too  much  reserve.  Doubtless  he  sees  his  position 
too  keenly.  He  should  not." 

"Do  you  like  him?" 

"  Yes,"  frankly. 

"  So  do  I ;  and  yet  there  are  moments  when  I  do 
not."  The  admiral  filled  his  pipe  carefully. 

"  But  your  reason  ?  "  surprised. 

"  That's  just  the  trouble.  I  haven't  any  tangible 
reason.  The  doubt  exists,  and  I  can't  explain  it. 
The  sea  often  looks  smooth  and  mild,  and  the  sky 
is  cloudless;  yet  an  old  sailor  will  suddenly  grow 
suspicious ;  he  will  see  a  storm,  a  heavy  blow.  And 
why,  he  couldn't  say  for  the,  life  of  him.  Flanagan 
will  tell  you." 

The  girl  grew  studious  and  grave.  Had  there 
not  been  an  echo  of  this  doubt  in  her  own  mind? 
Immediately  she  smiled. 

"  We  are  talking  nonsense  and  wasting  the  sun 
shine." 


248  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  How  about  Fitzgerald?  " 

"  Oh,  he's  the  most  sensible  of  them  all.  He 
proposed  to  me  the  first  night  out." 

"  What  ?  "     The  admiral  dropped  his  pipe. 

"  Not  so  loud !  "  she  warned.  And  then  the  clear 
music  of  her  laughter  penetrated  beyond  the  cabin; 
and  Fitzgerald,  wandering  about  without  purpose, 
heard  it  and  paused. 

"  You  minx !  "  growled  the  admiral ;  "  to  scare 
your  old  father  like  that !  " 

"  Dearest,  weren't  you  fishing  to  be  scared  ?  " 

"  Let's  get  out  into  the  sunshine.  I  never  could 
get  the  best  of  you.  But  you  really  don't  mean  — " 

"  I  really  do  not.  He's  too  busy  telling  me  the 
plot  of  this  novel  he  is  going  to  write  to  make  love 
to  a  girl  who  doesn't  want  more  than  one  man  in 
the  family,  and  that's  her  foolish  old  father." 

And  they  went  outside,  arm  in  arm,  laughing  to 
gether  like  the  good  comrades  they  were.  M.  Fer- 
raud  joined  them. 

"  I  wish,"  said  he,  "  that  I  was  a  poet." 

"  What  would  you  do  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  should  write  a  sonnet  to  your  eyebrows  this 
morning,  is  it  not?  " 


A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS         249 

"  Mercy,  no!  That  kind  of  poetry  has  long  been 
passe." 

"  Helas! "  mournfully. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  a  sharp  blue  sky  and 
a  sea  of  running  silver;  warm,  too,  for  they  were 
bearing  away  into  the  southern  seas  now.  Every 
one  had  sea-legs  by  this  time,  and  the  larder  dwin 
dled  in  a  respectable  manner. 

Fitzgerald  viewed  his  case  dispassionately.  But 
what  to  do?  A  thousand  times  he  had  argued  out 
the  question,  with  a  single  result,  that  he  was  a  fool 
for  his  pains.  He  became  possessed  with  sudden 
inexplicable  longings  for  land.  He  could  not  get 
away  from  this  yacht;  on  land  there  would  have 
been  a  hundred  straight  lines  to  the  woods  and  the 
fisherman's  philosophy.  Things  were  going  directly 
to  one  end,  and  presently  he  would  have  no  more 
power  to  stem  the  words.  At  least  one  thing  was 
certain,  the  admiral  could  not  drop  him  overboard. 

"The  villain?" 

He  was  moved  suddenly  out  of  his  dream,  for  the 
object  of  it  stood  smiling  at  his  side.  A  wisp  of 
hair  was  blowing  across  her  eyes  and  she  was  en 
deavoring  to  adjust  it  under  her  cap. 


250  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  The  villain  ?  "  making  a  fine  effort  to  remarshal 
his  thoughts. 

"Yes.  We  were  talking  about  him  last  night. 
Where  did  you  leave  him?  " 

"  He  was  still  pursuing,  I  believe." 

"  Why  don't  you  make  him  a  real  villain,  a  man 
who  never  kills  any  one,  but  who  makes  every  one 
unhappy?  " 

"  But  that's  a  problem-villain ;  what  we  must  have 
is  a  romance-villain,  the  kind  every  one  is  sorry  for. 
Look  at  that  old  Portuguese  man-o'-war,"  pointing 
to  the  crest  of  a  near-by  wave.  "  Funny  little 
codger ! " 

"  When  do  you  expect  to  begin  the  story  on 
paper?  " 

"When  I  have  all  the  material,"  not  afraid  of 
her  eyes  at  that  moment. 

She  propped  her  elbows  on  the  rail.  It  was  a 
seductive  pose,  and  came  very  near  being  the  young 
man's  undoing. 

"  Does  it  seem  impossible  to  you,"  she  said,  "  that 
in  these  prosaic  times  we  are  treasure  hunting? 
Must  we  not  wake  up  and  find  it  a  dream?  " 

"  Most  dreams  are  perishable,  but  in  this  case 


A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS         251 

we  have  the  dream  tightly  bound.  But  what  are  we 
going  to  do  with  all  this  money  when  we  find  it  ?  " 

"  Divide  it  or  start  a  soldiers'  home.  I've  never 
thought  of  it  as  money." 

"  Heaven  knows,  I  have !  " 

"Why?" 

"  Do  you  really  wish  to  know  ?  "  in  a  voice  new  to 
her  ear.  "  Do  you  wish  to  know  why  I  want 
money,  lots  and  lots  of  it?  " 

She  dropped  her  arms  and  turned.  The  tone 
agitated  and  alarmed  her  strangely.  "  Why,  yes. 
With  plenty  of  money  you  could  devote  all  your 
time  to  writing;  and  I  am  sure  you  could  write 
splendid  stories." 

"  That  was  not  my  exact  thought,"  he  replied, 
resolutely  pulling  himself  together.  "  But  it  will 
serve."  By  George!  he  thought,  that  was  close 
enough. 

She  did  not  ask  him  what  his  exact  thought  was, 
but  she  suspected  it.  There  was  a  little  shock  of 
pleasure  and  disappointment;  the  one  rising  from 
the  fact  that  he  had  stopped  where  he  did  and  the 
other  that  he  had  not  gone  on.  And  she  grew 
angry  over  this  second  expression.  She  liked  him; 


252  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

she  had  never  met  a  young  man  whom  she  liked 
more.  But  liking  is  never  loving,  and  her  heart  was 
as  free  and  unburdened  as  the  wind.  As  once  re 
marked,  many  of  the  men  with  whom  she  had  come 
into  contact  had  been  bred  in  idleness,  and  her  in 
terest  in  them  had  never  gone  above  friendly  toler 
ance.  Her  admiration  was  for  men,  young  or  old, 
who  cut  their  way  roughly  through  the  world's  great 
obstacles,  who  achieved  things  in  pioneering,  in  his 
tory,  in  science ;  and  she  admired  them  because  they 
were  rather  difficult  to  draw  out,  being  more  famil 
iar  with  startling  journeys,  wildernesses,  strange 
peoples,  than  with  the  gilded  metaphors  of  the  draw 
ing-room. 

And  here  were  three  of  them  to  meet  daily,  to 
study  and  to  ponder  over.  And  types  as  far  apart 
as  the  three  points  of  a  triangle;  the  man  at 
her  side,  young,  witty,  agreeable;  Cathewe,  grave, 
kindly,  and  sometimes  rather  saturnine ;  Breitmann, 
proud  and  reserved;  and  each  of  them  having  rung 
true  in  some  great  crisis.  If  ever  she  loved  a  man 
.  .  .  The  thought  remained  unfinished  and  she 
glanced  up  and  met  Fitzgerald's  eyes.  They  were 
sad,  with  the  line  of  a  frown  above  them.  How; 


A  QUESTION  FROM  KEATS        253 

was  she  to  keep  him  under  hand,  and  still  erect  an 
impassable  barrier!  It  was  the  first  time  she  had 
given  the  matter  serious  thought.  The  joy  of  the 
sea  underfoot,  the  tang  of  the  rushing  air,  the  jour 
ney's  end,  these  had  occupied  her  volatile  young 
mind.  But  now! 

"  I  am  dull,"  said  he  gloomily. 

"Thank  you!" 

"I  mean  that  I  am  stupid,  doubly  stupid,"  he 
corrected. 

"  Cricket  will  be  a  cure  for  that." 

"  I  doubt  it,"  approaching  dangerous  ground  once 
more. 

"  Let's  go  and  talk  to  Captain  Flanagan,  then." 

"There!"  with  sudden  spirit,  "the  very  thing 
I've  been  wanting !  " 

It  was  of  no  importance  that  they  both  knew  this 
to  be  a  prevarication  about  which  St.  Peter  would 
not  trouble  his  hoary  head  nor  take  the  pains  to 
indite  in  his  great  book  of  demerits. 

But  all  through  that  bright  day  the  girl  thought, 
and  there  were  times  when  the  others  had  to  speak 
to  her  twice ;  not  at  all  a  reassuring  sign. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CATHEWE   ADVISES   AND   THE   ADMIRAL   DISCLOSES 

ONE  day  they  dropped  anchor  in  the  sapphire 
bay  of  Funchal,  in  the  summer  calm,  hot  and 
glaring;  Funchal,  with  its  dense  tropical  growth,  its 
cloud-wreathed  mountains,  its  amethystine  sisters 
in  the  faded  southeast.  And  for  two  days,  while 
Captain  Flanagan  recoaled,  they  played  like  chil 
dren,  jolting  round  in  the  low  bullock-carts,  climb 
ing  the  mountains  or  bumping  down  the  corduroy 
road.  It  was  the  strangest  treasure  hunt  that  ever 
left  a  home  port.  It  was  more  like  a  page  out  of 
a  boy's  frolic  than  a  sober  quest  by  grown-ups. 
That  danger,  menace  and  death  hid  in  covert  would 
have  appealed  to  them  (those  who  knew)  as  ridicu 
lous,  impossible,  obsolete.  The  story  of  cutlass  and 
pistol  and  highboots  had  been  molding  in  archives 
these  eighty-odd  years.  Dangers?  From  whom, 
from  what  direction?  No  one  suggested  the  pos- 

254 


CATHEWE  ADVISES  255 

sibility,  even  in  jest;  and  the  only  man  who  could 
have  advanced,  with  reasonable  assurance,  that  dan 
ger,  real  and  serious,  existed,  was  too  busy  appar 
ently  with  his  butterfly-net.  Still,  he  had  not  yet 
been  consulted;  he  was  not  supposed  to  know  that 
this  cruise  was  weighted  with  something  more  than 
pleasure. 

Fitzgerald  waited  with  an  impatience  which  often 
choked  him.  A  secret  agent  had  not  so  adroitly 
joined  this  expedition  for  the  pleasure  of  seeing  a 
treasure  dug  up  from  some  reluctant  grave.  What 
was  he  after?  If  indeed  Breitmann  was  directly 
concerned,  if  he  knew  of  the  treasure's  existence,  of 
what  benefit  now  would  be  his  knowledge?  A 
share  in  the  finding  at  most.  And  was  Breitmann 
one  who  was  conditioned  of  such  easy  stuff  that 
he  would  rather  be  sure  and  share  than  to  strike  out 
for  all  the  treasure  and  all  the  risks?  The  more 
he  gave  his  thought  to  Breitmann  the  more  that 
gentleman  retracted  into  the  fog,  as  it  were.  On 
several  occasions  he  had  noticed  signs  of  a  preoc 
cupation,  of  suppressed  excitement,  of  silence  and 
moroseness.  Fitzgerald  could  join  certain  squares 
of  the  puzzle,  but  this  led  forward  scarce  a  step. 


256  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Breitmann  had  entered  the  employ  of  the  admiral 
for  the  very  purpose  for  which  M.  Ferraud  had 
journeyed  sundrily  into  the  cellar  and  beaten 
futilely  on  the  chimney.  It  resolved  to  one  thing, 
and  that  was,  the  secretary  had  arrived  too  late.  He 
was  sure  that  Breitmann  had  no  suspicion  regarding 
M.  Ferraud.  But  for  a  casual  glance  at  the  little 
man's  hands,  neither  would  he  have  had  any.  He 
determined  to  prod  M.  Ferraud.  He  was  well 
trained  in  repression;  so,  while  he  often  lost 
patience,  there  was  never  any  external  sign  of  it. 
Besides,  there  was  another  affair  which  over 
shadowed  it  and  at  times  engulfed  it. 

Love.  The  cross-tides  of  sense  and  sentiment 
made  a  pretty  disturbance.  And  still  further,  there 
was  another  counter-tide.  Love  does  not  necessa 
rily  make  a  young  man  keen-sighted,  but  it  generally 
highly  develops  his  talent  for  suspicion.  By  subtle 
gradations,  Breitmann  had  shifted  in  Fitzgerald's 
mind  from  a  possible  friend  to  a  probable  rival. 
Breitmann  did  not  now  court  his  society  when  the 
smoking  bouts  came  round,  or  when  the  steward 
brought  the  whisky  and  soda  after  the  ladies  had 
retired.  Breitmann  was  moody,  and  whatever 


CATHEWE  ADVISES  257, 

variance  his  moods  had,  they  retained  the  gray  tone. 
This  Fitzgerald  saw  and  dilated  upon ;  and  it  rankled 
when  he  thought  that  this  hypothetical  adventurer 
had  rights,  level  and  equal  to  his,  always  supposing 
he  had  any. 

In  this  state  of  mind  he  drooped  idly  over  the 
rail  as  the  yacht  drew  out  of  the  bay,  the  evening 
of  the  second  day.  The  glories  of  the  southern 
sunset  lingered  and  vanished,  a-begging,  without  his 
senses  being  roused  by  them;  and  long  after  the  sea, 
chameleon-like,  changed  from  rose  to  lavender, 
from  lavender  to  gray,  the  mountains  yet  jealously 
clung  to  their  vivid  aureolas  of  phantom  gold. 
Fitzgerald  saw  nothing  but  writing  on  the  water. 

"  Well,  my  boy,"  said  Cathewe,  lounging  affec 
tionately  against  Fitzgerald,  "  here  we  are,  rolled 
over  again." 

"What?" 

Cathewe  described  a  circle  with  his  finger  lazily. 

"  Oh !  "  said  Fitzgerald,  listless.  "  Another  day 
more  or  less,  crowded  into  the  past,  doesn't  mat 
ter." 

"  Maybe.  If  we  could  only  have  the  full  days 
and  deposit  the  others  and  draw  as  we  need  them; 


258  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

but  we  can't  do  it.  And  yet  each  day  means  some 
thing;  there  ought  always  to  be  a  little  of  it  worth 
remembering." 

"  Old  parson ! "  cried  Fitzgerald,  with  a  jab  of 
his  elbow. 

"All  bally  rot,  eh?  I  wish  I  could  look  at  it 
that  way.  Yet,  when  a  man  mopes  as  you  are  do 
ing,  when  this  sunset.  .  ." 

"  New  one  every  day." 

"  What's  the  difficulty,  Jack?  " 

"  Am  I  walking  around  with  a  sign  on  my  back  ?  " 
testily. 

"  Of  a  kind,  yes." 

Cathewe  spoke  so  solemnly  that  Fitzgerald  looked 
round,  and  saw  that  which  set  his  ears  burning. 
Immediately  he  lowered  his  gaze  and  sought  the 
water  again. 

"  Have  I  been  making  an  ass  of  myself,  Arthur?  " 

"  No,  Jack ;  but  you  are  laying  yourself  open  to 
some  wonder.  For  three  or  four  days  now,  except 
for  the  forty-eight  hours  on  land  there,  you've  been 
a  sort  of  killjoy.  Even  the  admiral  has  remarked 
it." 

"  Tell  him  it's  my  liver,"  with  a  laugh  not  wholly 


CATHEWE  ADVISES  259 

free  of  embarrassment.  "  Suppose,"  he  continued, 
in  a  low  voice;  "suppose — ''  But  he  couldn't 
go  on. 

"  Yes,  suppose,"  said  Cathewe,  taking  up  the 
broken  thread;  "suppose  there  was  a  person  who 
had  a  heap  of  money,  or  will  have  some  day;  and 
suppose  there's  another  person  who  has  but  little 
and  may  have  less  in  days  to  come.  Is  that  the  sup 
position,  Jack?  The  presumption  of  an  old  friend, 
a  right  that  ought  never  to  be  abrogated." 
Cathewe  laid  a  hand  on  his  young  friend's  shoulder; 
there  was  a  silent  speech  of  knowledge  and  brother 
hood  in  it  such  as  Fitzgerald  could  not  mistake. 

"  That's  the  supposition,"  he  admitted  gener 
ously. 

"  Well,  money  counts  only  when  you  buy  horses 
and  yachts  and  houses,  it  never  really  matters  in 
anything  else." 

"  It  is  easy  to  say  that." 

"  It  is  also  easy  to  learn  that  it  is  true." 

"  Isn't  there  a  good  deal  of  buying  these  days 
where  there  should  be  giving?  " 

"  Not  among  real  people.  You  have  had  enough 
experience  with  both  types  to  be  competent  to  dis- 


260  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

tinguish  the  one  from  the  other.  You  have  birtH 
and  brains  and  industry;  you're  a  decent  sort  of 
chap  besides,"  genially.  "  Can  money  buy  these 
things  when  grounded  on  self-respect  as  they  are 
in  you?  Come  along  now;  for  the  admiral  sent 
me  after  you.  It's  the  steward's  champagne  cock 
tail;  and  you  know  how  good  they  are.  And  re 
member,  if  you  will  put  your  head  into  the  clouds, 
don't  take  your  feet  off  the  deck." 

Fitzgerald  expanded  under  his  tactful  interpreta 
tion.  A  long  breath  of  relief  issued  from  his  heart, 
and  the  rending  doubt  was  dissipated:  the  vulture- 
shadow  spread  its  dark  pennons  and  wheeled  down 
the  west.  A!  priceless  thing  is  that  friend  upon 
whom  one  may  shift  the  part  of  a  burden.  It 
seemed  to  be  one  of  Cathewe's  occupations  in  life 
to  absorb,  in  a  kindly,  unemotional  manner,  other 
people's  troubles.  It  is  this  type  of  man,  too,  who 
rarely  shares  his  own. 

It  would  be  rather  graceless  to  say  that  after 
drinking  the  cocktail  Fitzgerald  resumed  his  afore 
time  rosal  lenses.  He  was  naturally  at  heart  an 
optimist,  as  are  all  men  of  action.  And  so  the 
admiral,  who  had  begun  to  look  upon  him  with 


CATHEWE  ADVISES  261 

puzzled  commiseration,  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  young  man's  liver  had  resumed  its  normal 
functions.  An  old  woman  would  have  diagnosed 
the  case  as  one  of  heart  (as  Mrs.  Coldfield  secretly 
and  readily  and  happily  did)  ;  but  an  old  fellow  like 
the  admiral  generally  compromises  on  the  liver. 

When  one  has  journeyed  for  days  on  the  unquiet 
sea,  a  touch  of  land  underfoot  renews,  Antaeus- 
wise,  one's  strength  and  mental  activity ;  so  a  festive 
spirit  presided  at  the  dinner  table.  The  admiral 
determined  to  vault  the  enforced  repression  of  his 
secret.  Inasmuch  as  it  must  be  told,  the  present 
seemed  a  propitious  moment.  He  signed  for  the 
attendants  to  leave  the  salon,  and  then  rapped  on 
the  table  for  silence.  He  obtained  it  easily  enough. 

"  My  friends,"  he  began,  "  where  do  you  think 
this  boat  is  really  going?  " 

"  Marseilles,"  answered  Coldfield. 

"  Where  else?  "  cried  M.  Ferraud,  as  if  diversion 
from  that  course  was  something  of  an  improbability. 

"  Corsica.  We  can  leave  you  at  Marseilles,  Mr. 
Ferraud,  if  you  wish;  but  I  advise  you  to.  remain 
with  us.  It  will  be  something  to  tell  in  your  old 
age." 


262  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Cathewe  glanced  across  to  Fitzgerald,  as  if  to 
ask:  "Do  you  know  anything  about  this?"  Fitz 
gerald,  catching  the  sense  of  this  mute  inquiry, 
nodded  affirmatively. 

"  Corsica  is  a  beautiful  place,"  said  Hildegarde. 
"  I  spent  a  spring  in  Ajaccio." 

"  Well,  that  is  our  port,"  confessed  the  admiral, 
laying  his  precious  documents  on  the  table.  "  The 
fact  is,  we  are  going  to  dig  up  a  treasure,"  with  a 
flourish. 

Laughter  and  incredulous  exclamations  followed 
this  statement. 

"  Pirates  ?  "  cried  Coldfield,  with  a  good-natured 
jeer.  He  had  cruised  with  the  admiral  before. 
"  Where's  the  cutlass  and  jolly-roger  ?  Yo-ho !  and 
a  bottle  o'  rum !  " 

"  Yes.  And  where's  the  other  ship  following  at 
our  heels,  as  they  always  do  in  treasure  hunts,  the 
rival  pirates  who  will  cut  our  throats  when  we  have 
dug  up  the  treasure  ?  "  —  from  Cathewe. 

"  Treasures !  "  mumbled  M.  Ferrand  from  behind 
his  pineapple.  Carefully  he  avoided  Fitzgerald's 
gaze,  but  he  noted  the  expression  on  Breitmann's 
face.  It  was  not  pleasant. 


CATHEWE  ADVISES  263 

"  Just  a  moment,"  the  admiral  requested 
patiently.  "  I  know  it  smells  fishy.  Laura,  go 
ahead  and  read  the  documents  to  the  unbelieving 
giaours.  Mr.  Fitzgerald  knows  and  so  does  Mr. 
Breitmann." 

"  Tell  us  about  it,  Laura.  No  joking,  now," 
said  Coldfield,  surrendering  his  incredulity  with 
some  hesitance.  "  And  if  the  treasure  involves  no 
fighting  or  diplomatic  tangle,  count  me  in.  Think 
of  it,  Jane,"  turning  to  his  wife;  "two  old  church 
goers  like  you  and  me,  a-going  after  a  pirate's 
treasure !  Doesn't  it  make  you  laugh  ?  " 

Laura  unfolded  the  story,  and  when  she  came  to 
the  end,  the  excitement  was  hot  and  Babylonic. 
Napoleon!  What  a  word!  A  treasure  put  to 
gether  to  rescue  him  from  St.  Helena!  Gold, 
French  gold,  English  gold,  Spanish  and  Austrian 
gold,  all  mildewing  in  a  rotting  chest  somewhere 
back  of  Ajaccio!  It  was  unbelievable,  fantastic  as 
one  of  those  cinematograph  pictures,  running  back 
ward. 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  it  when  you 
find  it?" 

"  Findings    is    keepings,"    quoted    the    admiral. 


264  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Perhaps  divide  it,  perhaps  turn  it  over  to  France, 
providing  France  agrees  to  use  it  for  charitable  pur 
poses." 

"  A  fine  plan,  is  it  not,  Mr.  Breitmann  ?  "  said  M. 
Ferraud. 

"  Findings  is  keepings,"  repeated  Breitmann,  with 
a  pale  smile. 

The  eyes  of  Hildegarde  von  Mitter  burned  and 
burned.  Could  she  but  read  what  lay  behind  that 
impassive  face!  And  he  took  it  all  with  a  smile! 
What  would  he  do?  what  would  he  do  now? 
kept  recurring  in  her  mind.  She  knew  the  man, 
or  at  least  she  thought  she  did;  and  she  was  aware 
that  there  existed  in  his  soul  dark  caverns  which 
she  had  never  dared  to  explore.  Yes,  what  would 
he  do  now  ?  How  would  he  put  his  hand  upon  this 
gold?  She  trembled  with  apprehension. 

And  later,  when  she  found  the  courage  to  put  the 
question  boldly,  he  answered  with  a  laugh,  so  low 
and  yet  so  wild  with  fury  that  she  drew  away  from 
him  in  dumb  terror. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

BREITMANN   MAKES   HIS   FIRST  BLUNDER 

THE  secretary  nerved  himself  and  waited;  and 
yet  he  knew  what  her  reply  would  be,  even 
before  she  framed  it,  knew  it  with  that  indescribable 
certainty  which  prescience  occasionally  grants  in 
the  space  of  a  moment.  Before  he  had  spoken  there 
had  been  hope  to  stand  upon,  for  she  had  always 
been  gentle  and  kindly  toward  him,  not  a  whit  less 
than  she  had  been  to  the  others. 

"  Mr.  Breitmann,  I  am  sorry.  I  never  dreamed 
of  this;"  nor  had  she.  She  had  forgotten  Euro 
peans  seldom  understand  the  American  girl  as  she 
is  or  believe  that  the  natural  buoyancy  of  spirit 
is  as  free  from  purpose  or  intent  as  the  play  of  a 
child.  But  in  this  moment  she  remembered  her 
little  and  perfectly  inconsequent  attentions  toward 
this  man,  and  seeing  them  from  his  viewpoint  she 
readily  forgave  him.  Abroad,  she  was  always  on 

265 


266  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

guard;  but  here,  among  her  own  compatriots  who 
accepted  her  as  she  was,  she  had  excusably  for 
gotten.  "  I  am  sorry  if  you  have  misunderstood  me 
in  any  way." 

"  I  could  no  more  help  loving  you  than  that  those 
stars  should  cease  to  shine  to-night,"  his  voice  heavy 
with  emotion. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  she  could  only  repeat.  Men  had 
spoken  to  her  like  this  before,  and  always  had  the 
speech  been  new  to  her  and  always  had  a  great 
and  tender  pity  charged  her  heart.  And  perhaps 
her  pity  for  this  one  was  greater  than  any  she  had 
previously  known;  he  seemed  so  lonely. 

"  Sorry,  sorry !  Does  that  mean  there  is  no 
hope?" 

"  None,  Mr.  Breitmann,  none." 

"Is  there  another?"  his  throat  swelling.  But 
before  she  could  answer:  "Pardon  me;  I  did  not 
mean  that.  I  have  no  right  to  ask  such  a  ques 
tion." 

"  And  I  should  not  have  answered  it  to  any  but 
my  father,  Mr.  Breitmann."  She  extended  her 
hand.  "  Let  us  forget  that  you  have  spoken.  I 
should  like  you  for  a  friend." 


BREITMANN  MAKES  A  BLUNDER      267 

Without  a  word  he  took  the  hand  and  kissed  it. 
He  made  no  effort  to  hold  it,  and  it  slipped  from  his 
clasp  easily. 

"  Good  night." 

"  Good  night."  And  he  never  lost  sight  of  her 
till  she  entered  the  salon-cabin.  He  saw  a  star  fall 
out  of  nothing  into  nothing.  She  was  sorry !  The 
moment  brewed  a  thousand  wild  suggestions.  To 
abduct  her,  to  carry  her  away  into  the  mountains, 
to  cast  his  dream  to  the  four  winds,  to  take  her  in 
spite  of  herself.  He  laid  his  hand  on  the  teak 
railing,  wondering  at  the  sudden  wracking  pain,  a 
pain  which  unlinked  coherent  thought  and  left  his 
mind  stagnant  and  inert.  For  the  first  time  he 
realized  that  his  pain  was  a  recurrence  of  former 
ones  similar.  Why?  He  did  not  know.  He  only 
remembered  that  he  had  had  the  pain  at  the  back  of 
his  head  and  that  it  was  generally  followed  by  a 
burning  fury,  a  rage  to  rend  and  destroy  things. 
What  was  the  matter? 

The  damp  rail  was  cool  and  refreshing,  and  after 
a  spell  the  pain  diminished.  He  shook  himself  free 
and  stood  straight,  his  jaws  hard  and  his  eyes,  ab 
sorbing  what  light  there  was  from  the  stars,  chatoy- 


268  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

ant.  Sorry!  So  be  it.  To  have  humbled  him 
self  before  this  American  girl  and  to  be  snubbed 
for  his  pains !  But,  patience !  Two  million  francs 
and  his  friends  awaiting  the  word  from  him.  She 
was  sorry!  He  laughed,  and  the  laughter  was  not 
unlike  that  which  a  few  nights  gone  had  startled 
the  ears  of  the  other  woman  to  whom  he  had  once 
appealed  in  passionate  tones  and  not  without  suc 
cess. 

"Karl!" 

The  sight  of  Hildegarde  at  this  moment  neither 
angered  nor  pleased  him.  He  permitted  her  hand 
to  lay  upon  his  arm. 

"  My  head  aches,"  he  said,  as  if  replying  to  the 
unspoken  question  in  her  eyes. 

"  Karl,  why  not  give  it  up  ?  "  she  pleaded. 

"  Give  it  up  ?  What !  when  I  have  come  this  far, 
when  I  have  gone  through  what  I  have  ?  Oh,  no ! 
Do  not  think  so  little  of  me  as  that." 

"  But  it  is  a  dream !  " 

He  shook  off  her  hand  angrily.  "If  there  is  to 
be  any  reckoning  I  shall  pay,  never  fear.  But  it  will 
not,  shall  not  fail !  " 

She   would  have  liked   to   weep   for  him.     "  I 


BREITMANN  MAKES  A  BLUNDER      269 

would  gladly  give  you  my  eyes,  Karl,  if  you  might 
see  it  all  as  I  see  it.  Ruin,  ruin!  Can  you  touch 
this  money  without  violence?  Ah,  my  God,  what 
has  blinded  you  to  the  real  issues  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  asked  you  to  share  the  difficulties." 

"  No.     You  have  not  been  that  kind  to  me." 

To-night  there  were  no  places  in  his  armor  for 
any  sentiment  but  his  own.  "  I  want  nothing  but 
revenge." 

"  I  think  I  can  read,"  her  own  bitterness  getting 
the  better  of  her  tongue.  "  Miss  Killigrew  has  de 
clined." 

"  You  have  been  listening?  "  with  a  snarl. 

"  It  has  not  been  necessary  to  listen ;  I  needed 
only  to  watch." 

"  Well,  what  is  it  to  you?  " 

"  Take  care,  Karl !  You  can  not  talk  to  me  like 
that." 

"  Don't  drive  me,  then.  Oh,"  with  a  sudden  turn 
of  mind,  "  I  am  sorry  that  you  can  not  understand." 

"  If  I  hadn't  I  should  never  have  given  you  my 
promise  not  to  speak.  There  was  a  time  when  you 
had  right  on  your  side,  but  that  time  ceased  to  be 
when  you  lied  to  me.  How  little  you  understood 


270  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

me !  Had  you  spoken  frankly  and  generously  at  the 
start,  God  knows  I  shouldn't  have  refused  you. 
But  you  set  out  to  walk  over  my  heart  to  get  that 
miserable  slip  of  paper.  Ah!  had  I  but  known!  I 
say  to  you,  you  will  fail  utterly  and  miserably.  You 
are  either  blind  or  mad !  " 

Without  a  word  in  reply  to  this  prophecy  he 
turned  and  left  her;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  van 
ished  she  kissed  the  spot  on  the  rail  where  his  hand 
had  rested  and  laid  her  own  there.  When  at  last 
she  raised  it,  the  rail  was  no  longer  merely  damp, 
it  was  wet. 

"  Now  there,"  began  Fitzgerald,  taking  M.  Fer- 
raud  firmly  by  the  sleeve,  "  I  have  come  to  the  end 
of  my  patience.  What  has  Breitmann  to  do  with 
all  this  business  ?  " 

"  Will  you  permit  me  to  polish  my  spectacles  ?  " 
mildly  asked  M.  Ferraud. 

"  It's  the  deuce  of  a  job  to  get  you  into  a  corner," 
Fitzgerald  declared.  "  But  I  have  your  promise, 
and  you  should  recollect  that  I  know  things  which 
might  interest  Mr.  Breitmann." 


BREITMANN  MAKES  A  BLUNDER      271 

"  Croyes-vous  qu'il  pleuve?  I'll  fair  bien  du 
vent,"  adjusting  his  spectacles  and  viewing  the  clear 
sky  and  the  serene  bosom  of  the  Mediterranean. 
Then  M.  Ferraud  turned  round  with :  "  Ah,  Mr. 
Fitzgerald,  this  man  Breitmann  is  what  you  call 
'poor  devil/  is  it  not?  At  dinner  to-night  I  shall 
tell  a  story,  at  once  marvelous  past  belief  and 
pathetic.  I  shall  tell  this  story  against  my  best  con 
victions  because  I  wish  him  no  harm,  because  I 
should  like  to  save  him  from  black  ruin.  But,  at 
tend  me;  my  efforts  shall  be  as  wind  blowing  upon 
stone ;  and  I  shall  not  save  him.  An  alienist  would 
tell  you  better  than  I  can.  Listen.  You  have 
watched  him,  have  you  not  ?  To  you  he  seems  like 
any  other  man?  Yes?  Keen-witted,  gifted,  a  bit 
of  a  musician,  a  good  deal  of  a  scholar?  Well,  had 
I  found  that  paper  first,  there  would  have  been  no 
treasure  hunt.  I  should  have  torn  it  into  one  thou 
sand  pieces ;  I  should  have  saved  him  in  spite  of  him 
self  and  have  done  my  duty  also.  He  is  mad,  mad 
as  a  whirlwind,  as  a  tempest,  as  a  fire,  as  a  sand 
storm." 

"About  what?" 


272  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"To-night,  to-night!" 

And  the  wiry  little  man  released  himself  and 
bustled  away  to  his  chair  where  he  became  buried  in 
rugs  and  magazines. 


CHAPTER  XX 

AN   OLD   SCANDAL 

to-morrow,"  said  the  admiral. 
Napoleon,"  said  Laura. 

"  Romance,"  said  Cathewe. 

"  Treasures,"  said  M.  Ferraud. 

Hildegarde  felt  uneasy.  Breitmann  toyed  witH 
the  bread  crumbs.  He  was  inattentive  besides. 

"  Napoleon.  There  is  an  old  scandal,"  mused  M. 
Ferraud.  "  I  don't  think  that  any  of  you  have 
heard  it." 

"  That  will  interest  me,"  Fitzgerald  cried.  "  Tell 
it." 

M.  Ferraud  cleared  his  throat  with  a  sharp  ahem 
and  proceeded  to  burnish  his  crystals.  Specks  and 
motes  were  ever  adhering  to  them.  He  held  them 
up  to  the  light  and  pretended  to  look  through  them : 
he  saw  nothing  but  the  secretary's  abstraction. 

"We   were   talking   about   treasures   the   other 
273 


274  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

night,"  began  the  Frenchman,  "  and  I  came  near 
telling  it  then.  It  is  a  story  of  Napoleon." 

"  Never  a  better  moment  to  tell  it,"  said  the  ad 
miral,  rubbing  his  hands  in  pleasurable  anticipa 
tion. 

"  I  say  to  you  at  once  that  the  tale  is  known  to 
few,  and  has  never  had  any  publicity,  and  must 
never  have  any.  Remember  that,  if  you  please,  Mr. 
Fitzgerald,  and  you  also,  Mr.  Breitmann." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Breitmann.  "  I  was 
not  listening." 

M.  Ferraud  repeated  his  request  clearly. 

"  I  am  no  longer  a  newspaper  writer,"  Breitmann 
affirmed,  clearing  the  fog  out  of  his  head.  "  A 
story  about  Napoleon ;  will  it  be  true  ?  " 

"  Every  word  of  it."  M.  Ferraud  folded  his 
arms  and  sat  back. 

During  the  pause  Hildegarde  shivered.  Some 
thing  made  her  desire  madly  to  thrust  a  hand  out 
and  cover  M.  Ferraud's  mouth. 

"  We  have  all  read  much  about  Napoleon.  I  can 
not  recall  how  many  lives  range  shoulder  to  shoulder 
on  the  booksellers'  shelves.  There  have  been  letters 
and  memoirs,  raconteurs  by  celebrated  men  and 


AN  OLD  SCANDAL  275 

women  who  were  his  contemporaries.  But  there  is 
one  thing  upon  which  we  shall  all  agree,  and  that  is 
that  the  emperor  was  in  private  life  something  of 
a  beast.  As  a  soldier  he  was  the  peer  of  all  the 
Caesars;  as  a  husband  he  was  vastly  inferior  to  any 
of  them.  This  story  does  not  concern  him  as 
emperor.  If  in  my  narrative  there  occurs  anything 
offensive,  correct  me  instantly.  I  speak  English 
fluently,  but  there  are  still  some  idioms  I  trip  on." 

"  I'll  trust  you  to  steer  straight  enough,"  said  the 
admiral. 

"  Thank  you.  Well,  then,  once  upon  a  time 
Napoleon  was  in  Bavaria.  The  country  was  at  that 
time  his  ablest  ally.  There  was  a  pretty  peasant 
girl." 

A  knife  clattered  to  the  floor.  "  Pardon!  "  whis 
pered  Hildegarde  to  Cathewe.  "  I  am  clumsy." 
She  was  as  white  as  the  linen. 

Breitmann  went  on  with  his  crumbs. 

"  I  believe,"  continued  M.  Ferraud,  "  that  it  was 
in  the  year  1813  that  the  emperor  received  a  peculiar 
letter.  It  begged  that  a  title  be  conferred  upon  a 
pretty  little  peasant  boy.  The  emperor  was  a  grim 
humorist,  I  may  say  in  passing;  and  for  this  infant 


276  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

he  created  a  baronetcy,  threw  in  a  parcel  of  land, 
and  a  purse.  That  was  the  end  of  it,  as  far  as  it 
related  to  the  emperor.  Waterloo  came  and  with 
it  vanished  the  empire ;  and  it  would  be  a  long  time 
before  a  baron  of  the  empire  returned  to  any  degree 
of  popularity.  For  years  the  matter  was  forgotten. 
The  documents  in  the  case,  the  letters  of  patent,  the 
deeds  and  titles  to  the  land,  and  a  single  Napoleonic 
scrawl,  these  gathered  dust  in  the  loft.  When  I 
heard  this  tale  the  thing  which  appealed  to  me  most 
keenly  was  the  thought  that  over  in  Bavaria  there 
exists  the  only  real  direct  strain  of  Napoleonic 
blood:  a  Teuton,  one  of  those  who  had  brought 
about  the  downfall  of  the  empire." 

"  You  say  exists  ?  "  interjected  Cathewe. 

"  Exists,"  laconically. 

"  You  have  proofs?  "  demanded  Fitzgerald. 

"  The  very  best  in  the  world.  I  have  not  only 
seen  those  patents,  but  I  have  seen  the  man." 

"Very  interesting,"  agreed  Breitmann,  brushing 
the  crumbs  into  his  hand  and  dropping  them  on  his 
plate.  "  But,  go  on." 

"  What  a  man !  "  breathed  Fitzgerald,  who  began 
to  see  the  drift  of  things. 


AN  OLD  SCANDAL  277 

"  I  proceed,  then.  Two  generations  passed.  I 
doubt  if  the  third  generation  of  this  family  has 
ever  heard  of  the  affair.  One  day  the  last  of  his 
race,  in  clearing  up  the  salable  things  in  his  house 
—  for  he  had  decided  to  lease  it  —  stumbled  on  the 
scant  history  of  his  forebears.  He  was  at  school 
then ;  a  promising  youngster,  brave,  cheerful,  full  of 
adventure  and  curiosity.  Contrary  to  the  natural 
sequence  of  events,  he  chose  the  navy,  where  he  did 
very  well.  But  in  some  way  Germany  found  out 
what  France  already  knew.  Here  was  a  fine  chance 
for  a  stroke  of  politics.  France  had  always 
watched;  without  fear,  however,  but  with  half- 
formed  wonder.  Germany  considered  the  case: 
why  not  turn  this  young  fellow  loose  on  France, 
to  worry  and  to  harry  her?  So,  quietly  Germany 
bore  on  the  youth  in  that  cold-blooded,  Teutonic 
way  she  has,  and  forced  him  out  of  the  navy. 

"  He  was  poor,  and  poverty  among  German  offi 
cers,  in  either  branch,  is  a  bad  thing.  Our  young 
friend  did  not  penetrate  the  cause  of  this  at  first; 
for  he  had  no  intention  of  utilizing  his  papers,  save 
to  dream  over  them.  The  blood  of  his  great 
forebear  refused  to  let  him  bow  under  this  un- 


278  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

just  stroke.  He  sought  a  craft,  an  interesting  one. 
The  net  again  closed  in  on  him.  He  began  to 
grow  desperate,  and  desperation  was  what  Ger 
many  desired.  Desperation  would  make  a  tool  of 
the  young  fellow.  But  our  young  Napoleon  was 
not  without  wit.  He  plotted,  but  so  cleverly  and 
secretly  that  never  a  hand  could  reach  out  to  stay 
him.  Germany  finally  offered  him  an  immense 
bribe.  He  threw  it  back,  for  now  he  hated  Ger 
many  more  than  he  hated  France.  You  wonder 
why  he  hated  France?  If  France  had  not  dis 
carded  her  empire  —  I  do  not  refer  to  the  second 
empire  —  he  would  have  been  a  great  personage 
to-day.  At  least  this  must  be  one  of  his  ideas. 

"  And  there  you  are,"  abruptly.  "  Here  we  have 
a  Napoleon,  indeed  with  all  the  patience  of  his  great 
forebear.  If  Germany  had  left  him  alone  he  would 
to-day  have  been  a  good  citizen,  who  would  never 
have  permitted  futile  dreams  to  enter  his  head,  and 
who  would  have  contemplated  his  greatness  with  the 
smile  of  a  philosopher.  And  who  can  say  where 
this  will  end?  It  is  pitiful." 

"  Pitiful  ?  "  repeated  Breitmann.  "  Why  that  ?  " 
calmly. 


AN  OLD  SCANDAL  279 

M.  Ferraud  repressed  the  admiration  in  his  eyes. 
It  was  a  singular  duel.  "  When  we  see  a  madman 
rushing  blindly  over  a  precipice  it  is  a  human  in 
stinct  to  reach  out  a  hand  to  save  him." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  he  is  rushing  blindly?  " 
Breitmann  smiled  this  question. 

Hildegarde  sent  him  a  terrified  glance.  But  for 
the  stiff  back  of  her  chair  she  must  have  fallen. 

M.  Ferraud  demolished  an  olive  before  he  an 
swered  the  question.  "  He  has  allied  himself  with 
some  of  the  noblest  houses  in  France ;  that  is  to  say, 
with  the  most  heartless  spendthrifts  in  Europe. 
Napoleon  IV?  They  are  laughing  behind  his  back 
this  very  minute.  They  are  making  a  cat's-paw  of 
his  really  magnificent  fight  for  their  own  ignoble 
ends,  the  Orleanist  party.  To  wreak  petty  ven 
geance  on  France,  for  which  none  of  them  has 
any  love;  to  embroil  the  government  and  the  army 
that  they  may  tell  of  it  in  the  boudoirs.  This  is  the 
aim  they  have  in  view.  What  it  is  to  them  that 
they  break  a  strong  man's  heart?  What  is  it  to 
them  if  he  be  given  over  to  perpetual  imprisonment? 
Did  a  Bourbon  ever  love  France  as  a  country? 
Has  not  France  always  represented  to  them  a  purse 


280  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

into  which  they  might  thrust  their  dishonest  hands 
to  pay  for  their  base  pleasures?  Oh,  beware  of  the 
conspirator  whose  sole  portion  in  life  is  that  of 
pleasure!  I  wish  that  I  could  see  this  young  man 
and  tell  him  all  I  know.  If  I  could  only  warn 
him." 

Breitmann  brushed  his  sleeve.  "  I  am  really  dis 
appointed  in  your  climax,  Mr.  Ferraud." 

"  I  said  nothing  about  a  climax,"  returned  M. 
Ferraud.  "  That  has  yet  to  be  enacted." 

"Ah!" 

"A  descendant  of  Napoleon,  direct!  Poor 
devil !  "  The  admiral  was  thunderstruck.  "  Why, 
the  very  spirit  of  Napoleon  is  dead.  Nothing  could 
ever  revive  it.  It  would  not  live  even  a  hundred 
days." 

"  Less  than  that  many  hours,"  said  M.  Ferraud. 
"  He  will  be  arrested  the  moment  he  touches  a 
French  port." 

"  Father,"  cried  Laura,  with  a  burst  of  generosity 
which  not  only  warmed  her  heart  but  her  cheeks, 
"  why  not  find  this  poor,  deluded  young  man  and 
give  him  the  treasure  ?  " 

"  What,  and  ruin  him  morally  as  well  as  politi- 


AN  OLD  SCANDAL  281 

cally?  No,  Laura;  with  money  he  might  become  a 
menace." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  put  in  M.  Ferraud ;  "  with 
money  he  might  be  made  to  put  away  his  mad 
dream.  But  I'm  afraid  that  my  story  has  made  you 
all  gloomy." 

"  It  has  made  me  sad,"  Laura  admitted.  "  Think 
of  the  struggle,  the  self-denial,  and  never  a  soul  to 
tell  him  he  is  mad." 

The  scars  faded  a  little,  but  Breitmamrs  eyes 
never  wavered. 

"  The  man  hasn't  a  ghost  of  a  chance."  To  Fitz 
gerald  it  was  now  no  puzzle  why  Breitmann's  re 
semblance  to  some  one  else  had  haunted  him.  He 
was  rather  bewildered,  for  he  had  not  expected  so 
large  an  order  upon  M.  Ferraud's  promise.  "  Fifty 
years  ago.  .  ." 

"  Ah!  Fifty  years  ago,"  interrupted  M.  Ferraud 
eagerly,  "  I  should  have  thrown  my  little  to  the 
cause.  Men  and  times  were  different  then;  the 
world  was  less  sordid  and  more  romantic." 

"  Well,  I  shall  always  hold  that  we  have  no  right 
to  that  treasure." 

"  Fiddlesticks,  Laura !     This  is  no  time  for  senti- 


282  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

ment  The  questions  buzzing  in  my  head  are: 
Does  this  man  know  of  the  treasure's  existence? 
Might  he  not  already  have  put  his  hand  upon  it?  " 

"  Your  own  papers  discredit  that  supposition," 
replied  Cathewe.  "  A  stunning  yarn,  and  rather 
hard  to  believe  in  these  skeptical  times.  What  is 
it?"  he  asked  softly,  noting  the  dead  white  on 
Hildegarde's  cheeks. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  the  smoke,"  she  answered  with  a 
brave  attempt  at  a  smile. 

The  admiral  in  his  excitement  had  lighted  a 
heavy  cigar  and  was  consuming  it  with  jerky  puffs, 
a  bit  of  thoughtlessness  rather  pardonable  under  the 
stress  of  the  moment.  For  he  was  beginning  to  en 
tertain  doubts.  It  was  not  impossible  for  this  Na 
poleonic  chap  to  have  a  chart,  to  know  of  the 
treasure's  existence.  He  wished  he  had  heard  this 
story  before.  He  would  have  left  the  women  at 
home.  Corsica  was  not  wholly  civilized,  and  who 
could  tell  what  might  happen  there?  Yes,  the  ad 
miral  had  his  doubts. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  the  end  of  the  story,"  said 
Breitmann  musingly. 

"  There  is  time,"  replied  M.  Ferraud ;  and  of  them 


AN  OLD  SCANDAL  283 

all,  only  Fitzgerald  caught  the  sinister  undercur 
rent. 

"  So,  Miss  Killigrew,  you  believe  that  this  treas 
ure  should  be  handed  over  to  its  legal  owner  ?  " 
Breitmann  looked  into  her  eyes  for  the  first  time 
that  evening. 

"  I  have  some  doubt  about  the  legal  ownership,  but 
the  sentimental  and  moral  ownership  is  his.  A  ro 
mance  should  always  have  a  pleasant  ending." 

"  You  are  thinking  of  books,"  was  Cathewe's 
comment.  "  In  life  there  is  more  adventure  than 
romance,  and  there  is  seldom  anything  more  incom 
plete  in  every-day  life  than  romance." 

"  That  would  be  my  own  exposition,  Mr. 
Cathewe,"  said  Breitmann. 

The  two  fenced  briefly.  They  understood  each 
other  tolerably  well;  only,  Cathewe  as  yet  did  not 
know  the  manner  of  the  man  with  whom  he  was 
matched. 

The  dinner  came  to  an  end,  or,  rather,  the  diners 
rose,  the  dinner  having  this  hour  or  more  been 
cleared  from  the  table ;  and  each  went  to  his  or  her 
state-room  mastered  by  various  degrees  of  astonish 
ment.  Fitzgerald  moved  in  a  kind  of  waking  sleep. 


284  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Napoleon  IV!  That  there  was  a  bar  sinister  did 
not  matter.  The  dazzle  radiated  from  a  single 
point:  a  dream  of  empire!  M.  Ferraud  had  not 
jested;  Breitmann  was  mad,  obsessed,  a  mono 
maniac.  It  was  grotesque;  it  troubled  the  senses 
as  a  Harlequin's  dance  troubles  the  eyes.  A  great- 
grandson  of  Napoleon,  and  plotting  to  enter  France ! 
And,  good  Lord!  with  what?  Two  million  francs 
and  half  a  dozen  spendthrifts.  Never  had  there 
been  a  wilder,  more  hopeless  dreamer  than  this! 
Whatever  antagonism  or  anger  he  had  harbored 
against  Breitmann  evaporated.  Poor  devil,  indeed ! 
He  understood  M.  Ferraud  now.  Breitmann  was 
mad;  but  till  he  made  a  decisive  stroke  no  man 
could  stay  him.  So  many  things  were  clear  now. 
He  was  after  the  treasure,  and  he  meant  to  lay  his 
hands  upon  it,  peacefully  if  he  could,  violently  if 
no  other  way  opened.  That  day  in  the  Invalides, 
the  old  days  in  the  field,  his  unaccountable  appear 
ance  on  the  Jersey  coast;  each  of  these  things 
squared  themselves  in  what  had  been  a  puzzle.  But, 
like  the  admiral,  he  wished  that  there  were  no 
women  on  board.  There  would  be  a  contest  of  some 
order,  going  forward,  where  only  men  would  be 


AN  OLD  SCANDAL  285 

needed.     Pirates!     He  rolled  into  his  bunk  with  a 
dry  laugh. 

Meantime  M.  Ferraud  walked  the  deck  alone,  and 
finally  when  Breitmann  approached  him,  it  was  no 
more  than  he  had  been  expecting. 

"  Among  other  things,"  began  the  secretary,  with 
ominous  calm,  "  I  should  like  to  see  the  impression 
of  your  thumb." 

"  That  lock  was  an  ingenious  contrivance.  It 
was  only  by  the  merest  accident  I  discovered  it." 

"  It  must  be  a  vile  business." 
"  Serving  one's  country  ?  I  do  not  agree  with  you. 
Wait  a  moment,  Mr.  Breitmann;  let  us  not  misun 
derstand  each  other.  I  do  not  know  what  fear  is; 
but  I  do  know  that  I  am  one  of  the  few  living  who 
put  above  all  other  things  in  the  world,  France: 
France  with  her  wide  and  beautiful  valleys,  her 
splendid  mountains,  her  present  peace  and  pros 
perity.  And  my  life  is  nothing  if  in  giving  it  I 
may  confer  a  benefit." 

"Why  did  you  not  tell  the  whole  story?  A 
Frenchman,  and  to  deny  oneself  a  climax  like 
this?" 

M.  Ferraud  remained  silent. 


286  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  If  you  had  not  meddled!  Well,  you  have,  and 
these  others  must  bear  the  brunt  with  you,  should 
anything  serious  happen." 

"  Without  my  permission  you  will  not  remain  in 
Ajaccio  a  single  hour.  But  that  would  not  satisfy 
me.  I  wish  to  prove  to  you  your  blindness.  I  will 
make  you  a  proposition.  Tear  up  those  papers, 
erase  the  memory  from  your  mind,  and  I  will  place 
in  your  hands  every  franc  of  those  two  millions." 

Breitmann  laughed  harshly.  "  You  have  said 
that  I  am  mad ;  very  well,  I  am.  But  I  know  what 
I  know,  and  I  shall  go  on  to  the  end.  You  are 
clever.  I  do  not  know  who  you  are  nor  why  you 
are  here  with  your  warnings;  but  this  will  I  say  to 
you:  to-morrow  we  land,  and  every  hour  you  are 
there,  death  shall  lurk  at  your  elbow.  Do  you  un 
derstand  me  ?  " 

"  Perfectly.  So  well,  that  I  shall  let  you  go 
freely." 

"  A  warning  for  each,  then ;  only  mine  has  death 
in  it." 

"  And  mine,  nothing  but  good-will  and  peace." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

CAPTAIN    FLANAGAN   MEETS   A   DUKE 

THE  isle  of  Corsica,  for  all  its  fame  in 
romance  and  history,  is  yet  singularly  iso 
lated  and  unknown.  It  is  an  island  whose  people 
have  stood  still  for  a  century,  indolent,  unobserving, 
thriftless.  No  smoke,  that  ensign  of  progress, 
hangs  over  her  towns,  which  are  squalid  and  un- 
picturesque,  save  they  lie  back  among  the  mountains. 
But  the  country  itself  is  wildly  and  magnificently 
beautiful:  great  mountains  of  granite  as  varied  in 
colors  as  the  palette  of  a  painter,  emerald  streams 
that  plunge  over  porphyry  and  marble,  splendid  for 
ests  of  pine  and  birch  and  chestnut. 

The  password  was,  is,  and  ever  will  be,  Napoleon. 
Speak  that  name  and  the  native's  eye  will  fire  and 
his  patois  will  rattle  forth  and  tingle  the  ear  like  a 
snare-drum.  Though  he  pays  his  tithe  to  France, 
he  is  Italian ;  but  unlike  the  Italian  of  Italy,  his  pre- 
287 


288  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

dilection  is  neither  for  gardening,  nor  agriculture, 
nor  horticulture.  Nature  gave  him  a  few  chestnuts, 
and  he  considers  that  sufficient.  For  the  most  part 
he  subsists  upon  chestnut-bread,  stringy  mutton, 
sinister  cheeses,  and  a  horrid  sour  wine.  As  a 
variety  he  will  shoot  small  birds  and  in  the  winter  a 
wild  pig  or  two ;  his  toil  extends  no  further,  for  his 
wife  is  the  day-laborer.  Viewing  him  as  he  is 
to-day,  it  does  not  seem  possible  that  his  ancestors 
came  from  Genoa  la  Superba. 

Napoleon  was  born  in  Ajaccio,  but  the  blood  in 
his  veins  was  Tuscan,  and  his  mind  Florentine. 

These  days  the  world  takes  little  or  no  interest 
in  the  island,  save  for  its  wool,  lumber  and  an  in 
ferior  cork.  Great  ships  pass  it  on  the  north  and 
south,  on  the  east  and  west,  but  only  cranky  packets 
and  dismal  freighters  drop  anchor  in  her  ports. 

The  Gulf  of  Ajaccio  lies  at  the  southwest  of  the 
island  and  is  half-moon  in  shape,  with  reaches  of 
white  sands,  red  crags,  and  brush  covered  dunes, 
and  immediately  back  of  these,  an  embracing  range 
of  bald  mountains. 

A  little  before  sunrise  the  yacht  Laura  swam  into 
the  gulf.  The  mountains,  their  bulks  in  shadowy 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        289 

gray,  their  undulating  crests  threaded  with  yellow 
fire,  cast  their  images  upon  the  smooth  tideless 
silver-dulled  waters.  Forward  a  blur  of  white  and 
red  marked  the  town. 

"  Isn't  it  glorious  ?  "  said  Laura,  rubbing  the  dew 
from  the  teak  rail.  "  And  oh !  what  a  time  we 
people  waste  in  not  getting  up  in  the  mornings  with 
the  sun." 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Fitzgerald.  "  Scenery 
and  sleep;  of  the  two  I  prefer  the  latter.  I  have 
always  been  routed  out  at  dawn  and  never  allowed 
to  turn  in  till  midnight.  You  can  always  find 
scenery,  but  sleep  is  a  coy  thing." 

"  There's  a  drop  of  commercial  blood  in  your 
veins  somewhere,  the  blood  of  the  unromantic.  But 
this  morning?  " 

"  Oh,  sleep  doesn't  count  at  all  this  morning. 
The  scenery  is  everything." 

And  as  he  looked  into  her  clear  bright  eyes  he 
knew  that  before  this  quest  came  to  its  end  he  was 
going  to  tell  this  enchanting  girl  that  he  loved  her 
"  better  than  all  the  world  " ;  and  moreover,  he  in 
tended  to  tell  it  to  her  with  the  daring  hope  of  win 
ning  her,  money  or  no  money.  Had  not  some  poet 


290  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

written  —  some  worldly  wise  poet  who  rather  had 
the  hang  of  things  — 

"  He  either  fears  his  fate  too  much, 

Or  his  deserts  are  small, 
Who  dares  not  put  it  to  the  touch 
To  win  or  lose  it  all." 

Money  wasn't  everything;  she  herself  had  made 
that  statement  the  first  night  out.  He  had  been 
afraid  of  Breitmann,  but  somehow  that  fear  was 
all  gone  now.  Did  she  care,  if  ever  so  little? 

He  veered  his  gaze  round  and  wondered  where 
Breitmann  was.  Could  the  man  be  asleep  on  a 
morn  so  vital  as  this?  No,  there  he  was,  on  the 
yery  bowsprit  itself.  The  crew  was  busy  about 
him,  some  getting  the  motor-boat  in  trim,  others 
yanking  away  at  pulleys,  all  the  preparations  of 
landing.  A  sharp  order  rose  now  and  then ;  a  serv 
ant  passed,  carrying  Captain  Flanagan's  breakfast 
to  the  pilot-house.  To  all  this  subdued  turmoil 
Breitmann  seemed  apparently  oblivious.  What 
mad  dream  was  working  in  that  brain?  Did  the 
poor  devil  believe  in  himself;  or  did  he  have  some 
ulterior  purpose,  unknown  to  any  but  himself? 
Fitzgerald  determined,  once  they  touched  land, 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        291 

never  to  let  him  go  beyond  sight.  It  would  not  be 
human  for  him  to  surrender  any  part  of  the  treas 
ure  without  making  some  kind  of  a  fight  for  it, 
cunning  or  desperate.  If  only  the  women- folk  re 
mained  on  board ! 

Breitmann  gazed  toward  the  town  motionless. 

It  was  difficult  for  Fitzgerald  not  to  tell  the  great 
secret  then  and  there;  but  his  caution  whispered 
warningly.  There  was  no  knowing  what  effect  it 
would  have  upon  the  impulsive  girl  at  his  side. 
And  besides,  there  might  have  been  a  grain  of 
selfishness  in  the  repression.  All  is  fair  in  love  or 
war;  and  it  would  not  have  been  politic  to  make  a 
hero  out  of  Breitmann. 

"  You  haven't  said  a  word  for  five  minutes,"  she 
declared.  How  boyish  he  looked  for  a  man  of  his 
experience ! 

"  Silence  is  sometimes  good  for  the  soul,"  sen- 
tentiously. 

"  Of  what  were  you  thinking?  " 

His  heart  struck  hard  against  his  breast.  What 
an  opening,  what  a  moment  in  which  to  declare  him 
self!  But  he  said:  "Perhaps  I  was  thinking  of 
breakfast.  This  getting  up  early  always  makes  me 


292  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

ravenous.  The  smell  of  the  captain's  coffee  may 
have  had  something  to  do  with  it." 

"  You  were  thinking  of  nothing  of  the  sort,"  she 
cried.  "  I  know.  It  was  the  treasure  and  this 
great-grandson  of  Napoleon.  Sometimes  I  feel  I 
only  dreamed  these  things.  Why?  Because,  who 
ever  started  out  on  a  treasure  quest  without  having 
thrilling  adventures,  shots  in  the  dark,  footsteps 
outside  the  room,  villains,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
paraphernalia?  I  never  read  nor  heard  of  such  a 
thing." 

"  Nor  I.  But  there's  land  yonder,"  he  said,  with 
out  an  answering  smile. 

"  Then,"  in  an  awed  whisper,  "  you  believe  some 
thing  is  going  to  happen  there  ?  " 

"  One  thing  I  am  certain  of,  but  I  can  not  tell  you 
just  at  this  moment." 

A  bit  of  color  came  to  her  cheeks.  As  if,  reading 
his  eyes,  she  did  not  know  this  thing  he  was  so 
certain  of!  Should  she  let  him  tell  her?  Not  a 
real  eddy  in  the  current,  unless  it  was  his  fear  of 
money.  If  only  she  could  lose  her  money,  tempo 
rarily  !  If  only  she  had  an  ogre  for  a  parent,  now ! 
But  she  hadn't.  He  was  so  dear  and  so  kind  and 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        293 

so  proud  of  her  that  if  she  told  him  she  was  going 
to  be  married  that  morning,  his  only  questions 
would  have  been :  At  what  time  ?  Why,  this  sort 
of  romance  was  against  all  accepted  rules.  She 
was  inordinately  happy. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  lacking ;  this  great- 
grandson  himself.  He  will  be  yonder  somewhere. 
For  the  man  in  the  chimney  was  he  or  his  agent." 

"  And  aren't  you  afraid?  " 

"Of  what?  "proudly. 

"  It  will  not  be  a  comedy.  It  is  in  the  blood  of 
these  Napoleons  that  nothing  shall  stand  in  the  path 
of  their  desires,  neither  men's  lives  nor  woman's 
honor." 

"  I  am  not  afraid.  There  is  the  sun  at  last. 
What  a  picture !  And  the  shame  of  it !  I  am  hun- 
gry!" 

At  half  after  six  the  yacht  let  go  her  anchor  a 
few  hundred  yards  from  the  quay.  Every  one  was 
astir  by  now;  but  at  the  breakfast  table  there  was 
one  vacant  chair  —  Breitmann's.  M.  Ferraud  and 
Fitzgerald  exchanged  significant  glances.  In  fact, 
the  Frenchman  drank  his  coffee  hurriedly  and  ex 
cused  himself.  Breitmann  was  not  on  deck;  neither 


294  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

was  he  in  his  state-room.     The  door  was  open.     M. 
Ferraud,  without  any  unnecessary  qualms  of  con 
science,   went   in.     One  glance   at   the   trunk   was 
sufficient.     The  lock  hung  down,  disclosing  the  se 
cret    hollow.     For    once    the    little   man's    suavity 
forsook  him,  and  he  swore  like  a  sailor,  but  softly. 
He  rushed  again  to  the  deck  and  sought  Captain 
Flanagan,  who  was  enjoying  a  pipe  forward. 
"  Captain,  where  is  Mr.  Breitmann  ?  " 
"  Breitmann  ?     Oh,  he  went  ashore  in  one  of  the 
fruit-boats.     Missed  th'  motor." 
"  Did  he  take  any  luggage?  " 
"  Baggage  ? "      corrected      Captain      Flanagan. 
"  Nothin'  but  his  hat,  sir.     Anythin'  wrong?  " 

"Oh,  no!  We  missed  him  at  breakfast."  M. 
Ferraud  turned  about,  painfully  conscious  that  he 
had  been  careless. 

Fitzgerald  hove  in  sight.     "  Find  him  ?  " 
"  Ashore !  "  said  M.  Ferraud,  with  a  violent  ges 
ture. 

"  Isn't  it  time  to  make  known  who  he  is  ?  " 
"  Not  yet.     It  would  start  too  many  complica 
tions.     Besides,  I  doubt  if  he  has  the  true  meas 
urements." 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        295 

"  There  was  ample  time  for  him  to  make  a  copy." 

"  Perhaps." 

"Mr.  Ferraud?" 

"Well?" 

"  I've  an  idea,  and  I  have  had  it  for  some  time, 
that  you  wouldn't  feel  horribly  disappointed  if  our 
friend  made  away  with  the  money." 

M.  Ferraud  shrugged;  then  he  laughed  quietly. 

"  Well,  neither  would  I,"  Fitzgerald  added. 

"  My  son,  you  are  a  man  after  my  own  heart.  I 
was  furious  for  the  moment  to  think  that  he  had 
outwitted  me  the  first  move.  I  did  not  want  him 
to  meet  his  confederates  without  my  eyes  on  him. 
And  there  you  have  it.  It  is  not  the  money, 
which  is  morally  his;  it  is  his  friends,  his  lying, 
mocking  friends." 

"Are  we  fair  to  the  admiral?  He  has  set  his 
heart  on  this  thing." 

"  And  shall  we  spoil  his  pleasure  ?  Let  him  find 
it  out  later." 

"  Do  you  know  Corsica  ?  " 

"  As  the  palm  of  my  hand." 

"But  the  women?" 

"  They  will  never  be  in  the  danger  zone.     No 


296  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Wood  will  be  spilled,  unless  it  be  mine.  He  has  no 
love  for  me,  and  I  am  his  only  friend,  save  one." 

"  Suppose  this  persecution  of  Germany's  was  only 
a  blind?" 

"  My  admiration  for  you  grows,  Mr.  Fitzgerald. 
But  I  have  dug  too  deeply  into  that  end  of  it  not 
to  be  certain  that  Germany  has  tossed  this  bombshell 
into  France  without  holding  a  string  to  it.  Did 
you  know  that  Breitmann  had  once  been  hit  by  a 
spent  bullet?  Here,"  pointing  to  the  side  of  his 
head.  "  He  is  always  conscious  of  what  he  does 
but  not  of  the  force  that  makes  him  do  it.  Do  you 
understand  me?  He  is  living  in  a  dream,  and  I 
must  wake  him." 

The  adventurers  were  now  ready  to  disembark. 
They  took  nothing  but  rugs  and  hand-bags,  for 
there  would  be  no  preening  of  fine  feathers  on  hotel 
verandas.  With  the  exception  of  Hildegarde  all 
were  eager  and  excited.  Her  breast  was  heavy 
with  forebodings.  Who  and  what  was  this  man 
Ferraud?  One  thing  she  knew;  he  was  a  menace 
to  the  man  she  loved,  aye,  with  every  throb  of  her 
heart  and  every  thought  of  her  mind. 

The  admiral  was  like  a  boy  starting  out  upon 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        297 

his  first  fishing-excursion.  To  him  there  existed 
nothing  else  in  the  world  beyond  a  chest  of  money 
hidden  somewhere  in  the  pine  forest  of  Aitone. 
He  talked  and  laughed,  pinched  Laura's  ears,  shook 
Fitzgerald's  shoulder,  prodded  Coldfield,  and  fussed 
because  the  motor  wasn't  sixty-horse  power. 

"  Father,"  Laura  asked  suddenly,  "  where  is  Mr. 
Breitmann?" 

"  Oh,  I  told  him  last  night  to  go  ashore  early, 
if  he  would,  and  arrange  for  rooms  at  the  Grand 
Hotel  d'Ajaccio.  He  knows  all  about  the  place." 

M.  Ferraud  turned  an  empty  face  toward  Fitz 
gerald,  who  laughed.  The  great-grandson  of 
Napoleon,  applying  for  hotel  accommodations,  as 
a  gentleman's  gentleman,  and  within  a  few  blocks 
of  the  house  in  which  the  self -same  historic  fore 
bear  was  born !  It  had  its  comic  side. 

"  Are  there  any  brigands  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Cold- 
field.  She  was  beginning  to  doubt  this  expedition. 

"  Brigands  ?  Plenty,"  said  the  admiral,  "  but  they 
are  all  hotel  proprietors  these  times,  those  that 
aren't  conveniently  buried.  From  here  we  go  to 
Carghese,  where  we  spend  the  night,  then  on  to 
Evisa,  and  another  night.  The  next  morning  we 


298  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

shall  be  on  the  ground.  Isn't  that  the  itinerary, 
Fitzgerald?" 

"  Yes." 

"  And  be  sure  to  take  an  empty  carriage  to  carry 
canned  food  and  bottled  water,"  supplemented 
Cathewe.  "  The  native  food  is  frightful.  The 
first  time  I  took  the  journey  I  was  ignorant. 
Happily  it  was  in  the  autumn,  when  the  chestnuts 
were  ripe.  Otherwise  I  should  have  starved." 

"  And  you  spent  a  winter  or  spring  here,  Hilde- 
garde  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Coldfield. 

"  It  was  lovely  then."  There  was  a  dream  in 
Hildegarde's  eyes. 

The  hotel  omnibus  was  out  of  service,  and  they 
rode  up  in  carriages.  The  season  was  over,  and 
under  ordinary  circumstances  the  hotel  would  have 
been  closed.  A  certain  royal  family  had  not  yet 
left,  and  this  fact  made  the  arrangements  possible. 
It  was  now  very  warm.  Dust  lay  everywhere,  on 
the  huge  palms,  on  the  withered  plants,  on  the  chairs 
and  railings,  and  swam  palpable  in  the  air.  Breit- 
mann  was  nowhere  to  be  found,  but  he  had  seen  the 
manager  of  the  hotel  and  secured  rooms  facing  the 
bay.  Later,  perhaps  two  hours  after  the  arrival, 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE        299 

he  appeared.  In  this  short  time  he  had  completed 
his  plans.  As  he  viewed  them  he  could  see  no 
flaw. 

Now  it  came  about  that  Captain  Flanagan,  who 
had  not  left  the  ship  once  during  the  journey,  found 
his  one  foot  aching  for  a  touch  and  feel  of  the 
land.  So  he  and  Holleran,  the  chief-engineer,  came 
ashore  a  little  before  noon  and  decided  to  have  a 
bite  of  maccaroni  under  the  shade  of  the  palms  in 
the  Place  des  Palmicrs.  A  bottle  of  warm  beer  was 
divided  between  them.  The  captain  said  Faugh! 
as  he  drank  it. 

"  Try  th'  native  wine,  Capt'n,"  suggested  the 
chief-engineer. 

"  I  have  a  picture  of  Capt'n  Flanagan  drmkin' 
the  misnamed  vinegar.  No  Dago's  bare  fut  on  the 
top  o'  mine,  when  I'm  takin'  a  glass.  An'  that's 
th'  way  they  make  ut.  This  Napoleyun  wus  a  fine 
man.  He  pushed  'em  round  some." 

"  Sure,  he  had  Irish  blood  in  'im,  somewheres," 
Holleran  assented.  "  But  I  say,"  suddenly  stretch 
ing  his  lean  neck,  "  will  ye  look  t'  see  who's  comin' 
along!" 

Flanagan  stared.     "  If  ut  ain't  that  son-of-a-gun 


300  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

ov  a  Picard,  I'll  eat  my  hat !  "  The  captain  grew 
purple.  "  An'  leavin'  th'  ship  without  orders !  " 

"  An'  the  togs !  "  murmured  Holleran. 

"Watch  me!"  said  Flanagan,  rising  and  squar 
ing  his  peg. 

Picard,  arrayed  in  clean  white  flannels,  wrhite 
shoes,  a  panama  set  rakishly  on  his  handsome  head, 
his  fingers  twirling  a  cane,  came  head-on  into  the 
storm.  The  very  jauntiness  of  his  stride  was  as  a 
red  rag  to  the  captain.  So  then,  a  hand,  heavy  and 
charged  with  righteous  anger,  descended  upon 
Picard's  shoulder. 

"  Right  about  face  an'  back  to  th'  ship,  fast  as 
yer  legs  c'n  make  ut !  " 

Picard  calmly  shook  off  the  hand,  and,  adding  a 
vigorous  push  which  sent  the  captain  staggering 
among  the  little  iron-tables,  proceeded  nonchalantly. 
Holleran  leaped  to  his  feet,  but  there  was  a  glitter 
in  Picard's  eye  that  did  not  promise  well  for  any 
rough-and-tumble  fight.  Picard's  muscular  shoul 
ders  moved  off  toward  the  vanishing  point.  Hol 
leran  turned  to  the  captain,  and  with  the  assistance 
of  a  waiter,  the  two  righted  the  old  man. 

"  Po  you  speak  English?  "  roared  the  old  sailor, 


FLANAGAN  MEETS  A  DUKE       301 

"  Yes,  sir,"  respectfully. 

"Who  wus  that?" 

The  waiter,  in  reverent  tones,  declared  that  the 
gentleman  referred  to  was  well  known  in  Ajaccio, 
that  he  had  spent  the  previous  winter  there,  and  that 
he  was  no  less  a  person  than  the  Duke  of  —  But 
the  waiter  never  completed  the  sentence.  The  title 
was  enough  for  the  irascible  Flanagan. 

"  Th'—  hell  —  he  —  is !  "  The  captain  subsided 
into  the  nearest  chair,  bereft  of  future  speech, 
which  is  a  deal  of  emphasis  to  put  on  the  phrase. 
Picard,  a  duke,  and  only  that  morning  his  hands 
had  been  yellow  with  the  stains  of  the  donkey-en 
gine  oil !  And  by  and  by  the  question  set  alive  his 
benumbed  brain;  what  was  a  duke  doing  on  the 
yacht  Laura!'  "  Holleran,  we  go  t'  the  commo 
dore.  The  devil's  t'  pay.  What's  a  dook  doin'  on 
th'  ship,  and  we  expectin'  to  dig  up  gold  in  yonder 
mountains?  Look  alive,  man;  they's  villany 
afoot!" 

Holleran's  jaw  sagged. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  ADMIRAL   BEGINS   TO   DOUBT 

«TY  THAT'S  this  you're  telling  me,  Flanagan?  " 
V  V  said  the  admiral  perturbed. 

"Ask  Holleran  here,  sir;  he  wus  with  me  when 
th'  waiter  said  Picard  wus  a  dook.  I've  suspi- 
cioned  his  han's  this  long  while,  sir." 

"  Yes,  sir;  Picard  it  was,"  averred  Holleran. 

"  Bah !     Mistaken  identity." 

"  I'm  sure,  sir,"  insisted  Holleran.  "  Picard  has 
a  whisker-mole  on  his  chin,  sir,  like  these  forriners 
grow,  sir.  Picard,  sir,  an'  no  mistake." 

"  But  what  would  a  duke     .     .     ." 

"Ay,  sir;  that's  the  question,"  interrupted  Flan 
agan  ;  and  added  in  a  whisper :  "  Y*  c'n  buy  a 
dozen  dooks  for  a  couple  o'  million  francs,  sir. 
Th'  first-officer,  Holleran  here,  an'  me;  nobody  else 
knows  what  we're  after,  sir;  unless  you  gentlemen 

302 


THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT     303 

abaft,  sir,  talked  careless.  I  say  'tis  serious,  Com 
modore.  He  knows  what  we're  lookin'  fer." 

Holleran  nudged  his  chief.  "  Tell  th'  commo 
dore  what  we  saw  on  th'  way  here." 

"  Picard  hobnobbin'  with  Mr.  Breitmann,  sir." 

Breitmann?  The  admiral's  smile  thinned  and 
disappeared.  There  might  be  something  in  this. 
Two  million  francs  did  not  appeal  to  him,  but  he 
realized  that  to  others  they  stood  for  a  great  fortune, 
one  worthy  of  hazards.  He  would  talk  this  over 
with  Cathewe  and  Fitzgerald  and  learn  what  they 
thought  about  the  matter.  If  this  fellow  Picard 
jvvas  a  duke  and  had  shipped  as  an  ordinary  hand 
'foreward  .  .  .  Peace  went  out  of  the  admi 
ral's  jaw  and  Flanagan's  heart  beat  high  as  he  saw 
the  old  war-knots  gather.  Oh,  for  a  row  like  old 
times!  For  twenty  years  he  had  fought  nothing 
bigger  than  a  drunken  stevedore.  Suppose  this 
was  the  beginning  of  a  fine  rumpus?  He  grinned, 
and  the  admiral,  noting  the  same,  frowned.  He 
wished  he  had  left  the  women  at  Marseilles. 

"  Say  nothing  to  any  one,"  he  warned.  "  But  if 
this  man  Picard  comes  aboard  again,  keep  him 
there." 


304  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Yessir." 

"  That'll  be  all." 

"  What  d'  y'  think?  "  asked  Holleran,  on  the  re 
turn  to  the  Place  des  Palmiers,  for  the  two  were 
still  hungry. 

"  Think  ?     There's  a  fight,  bucko !  "  jubilantly. 

"  These  pleasure-boats  sure  become  monotonous." 
Holleran  rubbed  his  dark  hands.  "  When  d'  y' 
think  it'll  begin?" 

"  I  wish  ut  wus  t'day." 

"  I've  seen  y'  do  some  fine  work  with  th'  peg." 

They  had  really  seen  Picard  and  Breitmann  talk 
ing  together.  The  acquaintanceship  might  have 
dated  from  the  sailing  of  the  Laura,  and  again  it 
mightn't.  At  least,  M.  Ferraud,  who  overheard 
the  major  part  of  the  conversation,  later  in  the  day, 
was  convinced  that  Picard  had  joined  the  crew  of 
the  Laura  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  be  in  touch 
with  Breitmann.  There  were  some  details,  how 
ever,  which  would  be  acceptable.  He  followed 
them  to  the  Rue  Fesch,  to  a  trattoria,  but  entered 
from  the  rear.  M.  Ferraud  never  assumed  any  dis 
guises,  but  depended  solely  upon  his  adroitness  in 
occupying  the  smallest  space  possible.  So,  while 


THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT     305 

the  two  conspirators  sat  at  a  table  on  the  sidewalk, 
M.  Ferraud  chose  his  inside,  under  the  grilled  win 
dow  which  was  directly  above  them. 

"  Everything  is  in  readiness,"  said  Picard. 

"  Thanks  to  you,  duke." 

"  To-night  you  and  your  old  boatman  Pietro  will 
leave  for  Aitone.  The  admiral  and  his  party  will 
start  early  to-morrow  morning.  No  matter  what 
may  happen,  he  will  find  no  drivers  till  morning. 
The  drivers  all  understand  what  they  are  to  do  on 
the  way  back  from  Evisa.  I  almost  came  to  blows 
with  that  man  Flanagan.  I  wasn't  expecting  him 
ashore.  And  I  could  not  stand  the  grime  and  jeans 
a  minute  longer.  Perhaps  he  will  believe  it  a  case 
of  mistaken  identity.  At  any  rate  he  will  not  find 
out  the  truth  till  it's  too  late  for  him  to  make  a  dis 
turbance.  We  have  had  wonderful  luck ! " 

A  cart  rumbled  past,  and  the  listener  missed  a 
few  sentences.  What  did  the  drivers  understand? 
What  was  going  to  happen  on  the  way  back  from 

» 

Evisa?  Surely,  Breitmann  did  not  intend  that  the 
admiral  should  do  the  work  and  then  be  held  up 
later.  The  old  American  sailor  wasn't  afraid  of 
any  one,  and  he  would  shoot  to  kill.  No,  no; 


306  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Breitmann  meant  to  secure  the  gold  alone.  But 
the  drivers  worried  M.  Ferraud.  He  might  be 
forced  to  change  his  plans  on  their  account.  He 
wanted  full  details,  not  puzzling  components. 
Quiet  prevailed  once  more. 

"  Women  in  affairs  of  this  sort  are  always  in  the 
way,"  said  Picard. 

M.  Ferraud  did  not  hear  what  Breitmann  re 
plied. 

"  Take  my  word  for  it,"  pursued  Picard,  "  this 
one  will  trip  you ;  and  you  can  not  afford  to  trip  at 
this  stage.  We  are  all  ready  to  strike,  man.  All 
we  want  is  the  money.  Every  ten  francs  of  it  will 
buy  a  man.  We  leave  Marseilles  in  your  care;  the 
rest  of  us  will  carry  the  word  on  to  Lyons,  Dijon 
and  Paris.  With  this  unrest  in  the  government,  the 
army  scandals,  the  dissatisfied  employees,  and  the 
idle,  we  shall  raise  a  whirlwind  greater  than  '50  or 
'71.  We  shall  reach  Paris  with  half  a  million 
men." 

Again  Breitmann  said  something  lowly.  M. 
Ferraud  would  have  liked  to  see  his  face. 

"But  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  other 
woman  ?  " 


THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT.     307 

Two  women:  M.  Ferraud  saw  the  ripple  widen 
and  draw  near.  One  woman  he  could  not  under 
stand,  but  two  simplified  everything.  The  drivers 
and  two  women. 

"The  other?"  said  Breitmann.  "She  is  of  no 
importance." 

M.  Ferraud  shook  his  head. 

"  Oh,  well ;  this  will  be  your  private  affair. 
Captain  Grasset  will  arrive  from  Nice  to-morrow 
night.  Two  nights  later  we  all  should  be  on  board 
and  under  way.  Do  you  know,  we  have  been  very 
clever.  Not  a  suspicion  anywhere  of  what  we  are 
about." 

"  Do  you  recollect  M.  Ferraud?  "  inquired  Breit 
mann. 

"  That  little  fool  of  a  butterfly -hunter  ?  "  the  duke 
asked. 

M.  Ferraud  smiled  and  gazed  laughingly  up  at 
the  grill. 

"  He  is  no  fool,"  abruptly.  "  He  is  a  secret 
agent,  and  not  one  move  have  we  made  that  is  un 
known  to  him." 

"Impossible!" 

M.  Ferraud  could  not  tell  whether  the  consterna- 


308  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

tion  in  Picard's  voice  was  real  or  assumed.  He 
chose  to  believe  the  latter. 

"  And  why  hasn't  he  shown  his  hand  ?  " 

"  He  is  waiting  for  us  to  show  ours.  But  don't 
worry,"  went  on  Breitmann.  "  I  have  arranged 
to  suppress  him  neatly." 

And  the  possible  victim  murmured :  "I  wonder 
how?" 

"  Then  we  must  not  meet  again  until  you  return ; 
and  then  only  at  the  little  house  in  the  Rue  St. 
Charles." 

"  Agreed.     Now  I  must  be  off." 

"Good  luck!" 

M.  Ferraud  heard  the  stir  of  a  single  chair  and 
knew  that  the  great-grandson  was  leaving.  The 
wall  might  have  been  transparent,  so  sure  was  he  of 
the  smile  upon  Picard's  face,  a  sinister  speculating 
smile.  But  his  imagination  did  not  pursue  Breit 
mann,  whose  lips  also  wore  a  smile,  one  of  irony 
and  bitterness.  Neither  did  he  hear  Picard  mur 
mur  "  Dupe !  "  nor  Breitmann  mutter  "  Fools !  " 

When  Breitmann  saw  Hildegarde  in  the  hotel 
gardens  he  did  not  avoid  her  but  stopped  by  her 
chair.  She  rose.  She  had  been  waiting  all  day 


THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT     309 

for  this  moment.  She  must  speak  out  or  suffocate 
with  anxiety. 

"  Karl,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  unsmilingly. 

"  You  will  let  the  admiral  find  and  keep  this 
money  which  is  yours  ?  " 

Breitmann  shrugged. 

"  You  are  killing  me  with  suspense !  " 

"  Nonsense !  "  briskly. 

"  You  are  contemplating  violence  of  some  order. 
I  know  it,  I  feel  it ! " 

"  Not  so  loud !  "  impatiently. 

"  You  are ! "  she  repeated,  crushing  her  hands 
together. 

"  Well,  all  there  remains  to  do  is  to  tell  the  ad 
miral.  He  will,  perhaps,  divide  with  me." 

"  How  can  you  be  so  cruel  to  me  ?  It  is  your 
safety;  that  is  all  I  wish  to  be  assured  of.  Oh,  I 
am  pitifully  weak!  I  should  despise  you.  Take 
this  chest  of  money;  it  is  yours.  Go  to  England, 
to  America,  and  be  happy." 

"  Happy  ?     Do  you  wish  me  to  be  happy  ?  " 

"God  knows!" 

"  And  you  ?  "  curiously, 


310  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  I  have  no  time  to  ask  you  to  consider  me," 
with  a  clear  pride.  "  I  do  not  wish  to  see  you  hurt. 
You  are  courting  death,  Karl,  death." 

"Who  cares?" 

"  I  care !  "  with  a  sob. 

The  bitterness  in  his  face  died  for  a  space. 
"  Hildegarde,  I'm  not  worth  it.  Forget  me  as  some 
bad  dream;  for  that  is  all  I  am  or  ever  shall  be. 
Marry  Cathewe;  I'm  not  blind.  He  will  make  you 
happy.  I  have  made  my  bed,  or  rather  certain 
statesmen  have,  and  I  must  lie  in  it.  If  I  had 
known  what  I  know  now,"  with  regret,  "  this  would 
not  have  been.  But  I  distrusted  every  one,  my 
self,  too." 

She  understood.  "  Karl,  had  you  told  me  all  in 
the  first  place,  I  should  have  given  you  that  diagram 
without  question,  gladly." 

"  Well,  I  am  sorry.  I  have  been  a  beast.  Have 
we  not  always  been  such,  from  the  first  of  us,  down 
to  me  ?  Forget  me !  " 

And  with  that  he  left  her  standing  by  the  side  of 
her  chair  and  walked  swiftly  toward  the  hotel. 
When  next  she  realized  or  sensed  anything  she  was 
lying  on  her  bed,  her  eyes  dry  and  wide  open.  And 


THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT     311 

she  did  not  go  down  to  dinner,  nor  did  she  answer 
the  various  calls  on  her  door. 

Night  rolled  over  the  world,  with  a  cool  breeze 
driving  under  her  million  planets.  The  lights  in 
the  hotel  flickered  out  one  by  one,  and  in  the  third 
corridor,  where  the  adventurers  were  housed,  only 
a  wick,  floating  in  a  tumbler  of  oil,  burned  dimly. 

Fitzgerald  had  waited  in  the  shadow  for  nearly 
an  hour,  and  he  was  growing  restless  and  tired. 
All  day  long  he  had  been  obsessed  with  the  convic 
tion  that  if  Breitmann  ever  made  a  start  it  would 
be  some  time  that  night.  Distinctly  he  heard  the 
light  rattle  of  a  carriage.  It  stopped  outside  the 
gardens.  He  pressed  closer  against  the  wall.  The 
door  to  Breitmann's  room  opened  gently  and  the 
man  himself  stepped  out  cautiously. 

"  So,"  began  Fitzgerald  lightly,  "  your  majesty 
goes  forth  to-night?" 

But  he  overreached  himself.  Breitmann  whirled, 
and  all  the  hate  in  his  breast  went  into  his  arm  as  he 
struck.  Fitzgerald  threw  up  his  guard,  but  not 
soon  enough.  The  blow  hit  him  full  on  the  side  of 
the  head  and  toppled  him  over;  and  as  the  back  of 
his  head  bumped  the  floor,  the  world  came  to  an 


312  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

end.  When  he  regained  his  senses  his  head  was 
pillowed  on  a  woman's  knees  and  the  scared  white 
face  of  a  woman  bent  over  his. 

"  What's  happened  ?  "  he  whispered.  There  were 
a  thousand  wicks  where  there  had  been  one  and 
these  went  round  and  round  in  a  circle.  Presently 
the  effect  wore  away,  and  he  recognized  Laura. 
Then  he  remembered.  "  By  George !  " 

"What  is  it?"  she  cried,  the  bands  of  terror 
about  her  heart  loosening. 

"  As  a  hero  I'm  a  picture,"  he  answered.  "  Why, 
I  had  an  idea  that  Breitmann  was  off  to-night  to  dig 
up  the  treasure  himself.  Gone!  And  only  one 
blow  struck,  and  I  in  front  of  it ! " 

"  Breitmann  ?  "  exclaimed  Laura.  She  caught 
her  dressing-gown  closer  about  her  throat. 

"Yes.  The  temptation  was  too  great.  How 
did  you  get  here  ?  "  He  ought  to  have  struggled 
to  his  feet  at  once,  but  it  was  very  comfortable  to 
feel  her  breath  upon  his  forehead. 

"  I  heard  a  fall  and  then  some  one  running.  Are 
you  badly  hurt  ?  " 

The  anguish  in  her  voice  was  as  music  to  his 
ears. 


THE  ADMIRAL  BEGINS  TO  DOUBT     313 

"  Dizzy,  that's  all.  Better  tell  your  father  im 
mediately.  No,  no;  I  can  get  up  alone.  I'm  all 
right.  Fine  rescuer  of  princesses,  eh?"  with  an 
unsteady  laugh. 

"  You  might  have  been  killed !  " 

"  Scarcely  that.  I  tried  to  talk  like  they  do  in 
stories,  with  this  result.  The  maxim  is,  always 
strike  first  and  question  afterward.  You  warn 
your  father  quietly  while  I  hunt  uj>  Ferraud  and 
Cathewe." 

Seeing  that  he  was  really  uninjured  she  turned 
and  flew  down  the  dark  corridor  and  knocked  at  her 
father's  door. 

Fitzgerald  stumbled  along  toward  M.  Ferraud's 
room,  murmuring :  "  All  right,  Mr.  Breitmann ; 
all  right.  But  hang  me  if  I  don't  hand  you  back 
that  one  with  interest.  Where  the  devil  is  that 
Frenchman?"  as  he  hammered  on  Ferraud's  door 
and  obtained  no  response.  He  tried  the  knob. 
The  door  opened.  The  room  was  black,  and  he 
struck  a  match.  M.  Ferraud,  fully  dressed,  lay 
upon  his  bed.  There  was  a  handkerchief  over  his 
mouth  and  his  hands  and  feet  were  securely  bound. 
His  eyes  were  open. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

CATHEWE   ASKS   QUESTIONS 

THE  hunter  of  butterflies  rubbed  his  released 
wrists  and  ankles,  tried  his  collar,  coughed, 
and  dropped  his  legs  to  the  floor. 

"  I  am  getting  old,"  he  cried  in  self-communion ; 
"  near-sighted  and  old.  I've  worn  spectacles  so  long 
in  jest  that  now  I  must  wear  them  in  earnest." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here  ?  "  asked  Fitz 
gerald. 

"  I  should  say  about  two  hours.  It  was  very  sim 
ple.  He  came  to  the  door.  I  opened  it.  He  came 
in.  Zutl  He  is  as  powerful  as  a  lion." 

"Why  didn't  you  call?" 

"  I  was  too  busy,  and  suddenly  it  became  too  late. 
Gone?" 

"  Yes."  And  Fitzgerald  swore  as  he  rubbed  the 
side  of  his  head.  Briefly  he  related  what  had  be 
fallen  him. 


CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS       315 

"  You  have  never  hunted  butterflies  ?  " 

"  No,"  sharply.  "  Shall  we  start  for  him  while 
his  heels  are  hot  ? " 

"  It  is  very  exciting.  It  is  the  one  thing  I  really 
care  for.  There  is  often  danger,  but  it  is  the  kind 
that  does  not  steal  round  your  back.  Hereafter  I 
shall  devote  my  time  to  butterflies.  You  can  make 
believe  —  is  that  what  you  call  it  ?  —  each  butterfly 
is  a  great  rascal.  The  more  difficult  the  netting, 
the  more  cunning  the  rascal  .  .  .  What  did 
you  say  ?  " 

"  Look  here,  Ferraud,"  cried  Fitzgerald  angrily ; 
"do  you  want  to  catch  him  or  not?  He's  gone, 
and  that  means  he  has  got  the  odd  trick." 

"  But  not  the  rubber,  my  son.  Listen.  .When 
you  set  a  trap  for  a  rat  or  a  lion,  do  you  scare  the 
animal  into  it,  or  do  you  lure  him  with  a  tempting 
bait?  I  have  laid  the  trap;  he  and  his  friend  will 
walk  into  it.  I  am  not  a  police  officer.  I  make  no 
arrests.  My  business  is  to  avert  political  calami 
ties,  without  any  one  knowing  that  these  calamities 
exist.  That  is  the  real  business  of  a  secret  agent. 
Let  him  dig  up  his  fortune.  Who  has  a  better 
right?  Peste!  The  pope  will  not* crown  him  in 


316  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries.  What !  "  with  a  ring 
in  his  voice  Fitzgerald  had  never  heard  before;  "  am 
I  one  to  be  overcome  without  a  struggle,  without  a 
call  for  help?  The  trap  is  set,  and  in  forty-eight 
hours  it  will  be  sprung.  Be  calm,  my  son.  To 
night  we  should  not  find  a  horse  or  carriage  in  the 
whole  town  of  Ajaccio." 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Go  to  A'itone,  to  find  a  hole  in  the  ground." 

"  But  the  admiral !  " 

"  Let  him  gaze  into  the  hole,  and  then  tell  him 
what  you  will.  I  owe  him  that  much.  Come  on !  " 

"Where?" 

"  To  the  admiral,  to  tell  him  his  secretary  is  a 
fine  rogue  and  that  he  has  stolen  the  march  on  us. 
A  good  chase  will  soften  his  final  disappointment." 

"  You're  a  strange  man." 

"  No ;  only  what  you  English  and  Americans  call 
a  game  sport.  To  start  on  even  terms  with  a  man, 
to  give  him  the  odds,  if  necessary.  What!  have 
beaters  for  my  rabbits,  shoot  pigeons  from  traps? 
Fi  done! " 

"  Hang  it !  "  growled  the  young  man,  undecided. 

"  My  son,  give  me  my  way.     Some  day  you  will 


CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS       317 

be  glad.  I  will  tell  you  this :  I  am  playing  against 
desperate  men;  and  the  liberty,  perhaps  honor,  of 
one  you  love  is  menaced." 

"My  God!" 

"  Sh !  Ask  me  nothing ;  leave  it  all  to  me. 
There!  They  are  coming.  Not  a  word." 

The  admiral's  fury  was  boundless,  and  his  ut 
terances  were  touched  here  and  there  by  strong 
sailor  expressions.  The  scoundrel!  The  black 
leg!  And  he  had  trusted  him  without  reservation. 
He  wanted  to  start  at  once.  Laura  finally  suc 
ceeded  in  calming  him,  and  the  cold  reason  of  M. 
Ferraud  convinced  him  of  the  folly  of  haste. 
There  was  a  comic  side  to  the  picture,  too,  but  they 
were  all  too  serious  to  note  it;  the  varied  tints  of 
the  dressing-gowns,  the  bath-slippers  and  bare  feet, 
the  uncovered  throats,  the  tousled  hair,  the  eyes 
still  heavy  with  sleep.  Every  one  of  the  party  was 
in  Ferraud's  room,  and  their  voices  hummed  and 
murmured  and  their  arms  waved.  Only  one  of 
them  did  Ferraud  watch  keenly ;  Hildegarde.  How 
would  she  act  now? 

Fitzgerald's  head  still  rang,  and  now  his  mind 
was  being  tortured.  Laura  in  danger  from  this 


318  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

madman?  No,  over  his  body  first,  over  his  dead 
body.  How  often  had  he  smiled  at  that  phrase; 
but  there  was  no  melodrama  in  it  now.  Her  liberty 
and  perhaps  her  honor !  His  strong  fingers  worked 
convulsively;  to  put  them  round  the  blackguard's 
throat!  And  to  do  nothing  himself,  to  wait  upon 
this  Frenchman's  own  good  time,  was  maddening. 

"  Your  head  is  all  right  now  ?  "  as  she  turned  to 
follow  the  others  from  the  room. 

"  It  was  nothing."  He  forced  a  smile  to  his  lips. 
"  I'm  as  fit  as  a  fiddle  now ;  only,  I'll  never  forgive 
myself  for  letting  him  go.  Will  you  tell  me  one 
thing  ?  Did  he  ever  offend  you  in  any  way  ?  " 

"  A  woman  would  not  call  it  an  offense,"  a  glint 
of  humor  in  her  eyes.  "  Real  offense,  no." 

"  He  proposed  to  you  ?  " 

The  suppressed  rage  in  his  tone  would  have 
amused  if  it  hadn't  thrilled  her  strangely.  "  It 
would  have  been  a  proposal  if  I  had  not  stopped  it. 
Good  night." 

He  could  not  see  her  eyes  very  well;  there  was 
only  one  candle  burning.  Impulsively  he  snatched 
at  her  hand  and  kissed  it.  With  his  life,  if  need 
be;  ay,  and  gladly.  And  even  as  she  disappeared 


CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS       319 

into  the  corridor  the  thought  intruded :  Where 
was  the  past,  the  days  of  wandering,  the  active  and 
passive  adventures,  he  had  contemplated  treasuring 
up  for  a  club  career  in  his  old  age  ?  Why,  they  had 
vanished  from  his  mind  as  thin  ice  vanishes  in  the 
spring  sunshine.  To  love  is  to  be  borne  again. 

And  Laura?  She  possessed  a  secret  that  terri 
fied  her  one  moment  and  enraptured  her  the  next. 
And  she  marveled  that  there  was  no  shame  in  her 
heart.  Never  in  all  her  life  before  had  she  done 
such  a  thing;  she,  who  had  gone  so  calmly  through 
her  young  years,  wondering  what  it  was  that  had 
made  men  turn  away  from  her  with  agony  written 
on  their  faces !  She  would  never  be  the  same  again, 
and  the  hand  she  held  softly  against  her  cheek 
would  never  be  the  same  hand.  Where  was  the 
tranquillity  of  that  morning? 

Fitzgerald  found  himself  alone  with  Ferraud 
again.  There  was  going  to  be  no  dissembling;  he 
was  going  to  speak  frankly. 

"  You  have  evidently  discovered  it.  Yes,  I  love 
Miss  Killigrew,  well  enough  to  die  for  her." 

"  Zut!  She  will  be  as  safe  as  in  her  own  house. 
Had  Breitmann  not  gone  to-night,  had  any  of  us 


320  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

stopped  him,  I  could  not  say.  Unless  you  tell  her, 
she  will  never  know  that  she  stood  in  danger. 
Don't  you  understand?  If  I  marred  one  move 
these  men  intend  to  make,  if  I  showed  a  single  card, 
they  would  defeat  me  for  the  time ;  for  they  would 
make  new  plans  of  which  I  should  not  have  the  least 
idea.  You  comprehend  ?  " 

Fitzgerald  nodded. 

"  It  all  lies  in  the  hollow  of  my  hand.  Breitmann 
made  one  mistake :  he  should  have  pushed  me  off 
the  boat,  into  the  dark.  He  knows  that  I  know. 
And  there  he  confuses  me.  But,  I  repeat,  he  is  not 
vicious,  only  mad." 

"Where  will  it  be?" 

"  It  will  not  be ;  "  and  M.  Ferraud  smiled  as  he 
livened  up  the  burnt  wick  of  his  candle. 

"  Treachery  on  the  part  of  the  drivers  ?  Oh, 
don't  you  see  that  you  can  trust  me  wholly  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  will  be  like  this ;  "  and  reluctantly  the 
secret  agent  outlined  his  plan.  "  Now,  go  to  bed 
and  sleep,  for  you  and  I  shall  need  some  to  draw 
upon  during  the  next  three  or  four  days.  Hunting 
for  buried  treasures  was  never  a  junketing.  The 
admiral  will  tell  you  that.  At  dawn ! "  Then  he 


CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS       321 

added  whimsically :  "  I  trust  we  haven't  disturbed 
the  royal  family  below." 

"  Hang  the  royal  family !  " 

"  Their  own  parliament,  or  Reichstag,  will  ar 
range  for  that !  "  and  the  little  man  laughed. 

Dawn  came  soon  enough,  yellow  and  airless. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Coldfield,  "  I  really  wish 
you  wouldn't  go." 

"  But  Laura  and  Miss  von  Mitter  insist  on  go 
ing.  I  can't  back  out  now,"  protested  Coldfield. 
"  What  are  you  worried  about  ?  Brigands,  gun 
shots,  and  all  that?" 

"  He  will  be  a  desperate  man." 

"  To  steal  a  chest  full  of  money  is  one  thing ;  to 
shoot  a  man  is  another.  Besides,  the  admiral  will 
go  if  he  has  to  go  alone;  and  I  can't  desert  him." 

"  Very  well.  You  will  have  to  take  me  to  Baden 
for  nervous  prostration'." 

"  Humph !  Baden ;  that'll  mean  about  two- 
thousand  in  fresh  gowns  from  Vienna  or  Paris. 
All  right;  I'm  game.  But,  no  nerves,  no  Baden." 

"Go,  if  you  will;  but  do  take  care  of  yourself; 
and  let  the  admiral  go  first,  when  there's  any  sign 
of  danger." 


322  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Coldfield  chuckled.  "  I'll  get  behind  him  every 
time  I  think  of  it." 

"  Kiss  me.  They  are  waiting  for  you.  And  be 
careful." 

It  was  only  a  little  brave  comedy.  She  knew 
this  husband  and  partner  of  hers,  hard-headed  at 
times,  but  full  of  loyalty  and  courage;  and  she  was 
confident  that  if  danger  arose  the  chances  were  he 
would  be  getting  in  front  instead  of  behind  the  ad 
miral.  A  pang  touched  her  heart  as  she  saw  him 
spring  into  the  carriage. 

The  admiral  had  argued  himself  hoarse  about 
Laura's  going;  but  he  had  to  give  in  when  she 
threatened  to  hire  a  carriage  on  her  own  account 
and  follow.  Thus,  Coldfield  went  because  he  was 
loyal  to  his  friends;  Laura,  because  she  would  not 
leave  her  father;  Hildegarde,  because  to  remain 
without  knowing  what  was  happening  would  have 
driven  her  mad;  M.  Ferraud,  because  it  was  a  trick 
in  the  game;  and  Cathewe  and  Fitzgerald,  because 
they  loved  hazard,  because  they  were  going  with  the 
women  they  loved.  The  admiral  alone  went  for 
the  motive  apparent  to  all:  to  lay  hands  on  the 
scoundrel  who  had  betrayed  his  confidence. 


CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS       323 

So  the  journey  into  the  mountains  began.  In 
none  of  the  admiral's  documents  was  it  explained 
why  the  old  Frenchman  had  hidden  the  treasure  so 
far  inland,  when  at  any  moment  a  call  might  have 
been  made  on  it.  Ferraud  put  forward  the  sup 
position  that  they  had  been  watched.  As  for  hid 
ing  it  in  Corsica  at  all,  every  one  understood  that  it 
was  a  matter  of  sentiment. 

Fitzgerald  keenly  inspected  the  drivers,  but  found 
them  of  the  ordinary  breed,  in  velveteens,  red- 
sashes,  and  soft  felt  hats.  As  they  made  the  noon 
stop,  one  thing  struck  him  as  peculiar.  The  driver 
of  the  provision  carriage  had  little  or  nothing  to  do 
with  his  companions.  "  That  is  because  he  is 
mine,"  explained  M.  Ferraud  in  a  whisper.  They 
were  all  capable  horsemen,  and  on  this  journey 
spared  their  horses  only  when  absolutely  necessary. 
The  great  American  signori  were  in  a  hurry.  They 
arrived  at  Carghese  at  five  in  the  afternoon.  The 
admiral  was  for  pushing  on,  driving  all  night.  He 
stormed,  but  the  drivers  were  obdurate.  At  Car 
ghese  they  would  remain  till  sunrise ;  that  was  final. 

Besides,  it  was  not  safe  at  night,  without  moonshine, 

> 

for  many  a  mile  of  the  road  lipping  tremendous 


324  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

precipices  was  without  curb  or  parapet.  Not  a  foot 
till  dawn. 

In  the  little  auberge,  dignified  but  not  improved 
by  the  name  of  Hotel  de  France,  there  was  room 
only  for  the  two  women  and  the  older  men.  Fitz 
gerald  and  Cathewe  had  to  bunk  the  best  they 
could  in  a  tenement  at  the  upper  end  of  the  town; 
two  cots  in  a  single  room,  carpetless  and  ovenlike 
for  the  heat. 

Cathewe  opened  his  rug-bag  and  spread  out  a  rug 
in  front  of  his  cot,  for  he  wasn't  fond  at  any  time  of 
dirty,  bare  boards  under  his  feet.  He  began  to  un 
dress,  silently,  puffing  his  pipe  as  one  unconscious  of 
the  deed.  Cathewe  looked  old.  Fitzgerald  hadn't 
noticed  the  change  before;  but  it  certainly  was  a  fact 
that  his  face  was  thinner  than  when  they  put  out  to 
sea.  Cathewe,  his  pipe  still  between  his  teeth,  ab 
sently  drew  his  shirt  over  his  head.  The  pipe  fell 
to  the  rug  and  he  stamped  out  the  coals,  grumbling. 

"  You'll  set  yourself  afire  one  of  these  fine  days," 
laughed  Fitzgerald  from  his  side  of  the  room. 

"  I'm  safe  enough,  Jack,  you  can't  set  fire  to 
ashes,  and  that's  about  all  I  amount  to."  Cathewe 
got  into  his  pajamas  and  sat  upon  the  bed.  "  Jack, 


CATHEWE  ASKS  QUESTIONS       325 

I  thought  I  knew  something  about  this  fellow  Breit- 
mann ;  but  it  seems  I've  something  to  learn." 

The  younger  man  said  nothing. 

"  Was  that  yarn  of  Ferraud's  fact  or  tommy- 
rot?" 

"  Fact." 

"The  great-grandson  of  Napoleon!  Here! 
Nothing  will  ever  surprise  me  again.  But  why 
didn't  he  lay  the  matter  before  Killigrew,  like  a 
man?" 

Fitzgerald  patted  and  poked  the  wool-filled  pillow, 
but  without  success.  It  remained  as  hard  and  as 
uninviting  as  ever.  "  I've  thought  it  over,  Arthur. 
I'd  have  done  the  same  as  Breitmann,"  as  if  re 
luctant  to  give  his  due  to  the  missing  man. 

"  But  why  didn't  this  butterfly  man  tell  the  ad 
miral  all?" 

"  He  had  excellent  reasons.  He's  a  secret  agent, 
and  has  the  idea  that  Breitmann  wants  to  go  into 
France  and  make  an  emperor  of  himself." 

"  Do  men  dream  of  such  things  to-day,  let  alone 
try  to  enact  them  ?  "  incredulously. 

"  Breitmann's  an  example." 

"Are  you  taking  his  part?" 


326  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  No,  damn  him !  May  I  ask  you  a  pertinent 
question  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  he  know  Miss  von  Mitter  very  well  in 
Munich?" 

"  He  did." 

"  Was  he  quite  square  ?  " 

"  I  am  beginning  to  believe  that  he  was  something 
between  a  cad  and  a  scoundrel." 

"  Did  you  know  that  among  her  forebears  on  her 
mother's  side  was  the  Abbe  Fanu,  who  left  among 
other  things  the  diagram  of  the  chimney?" 

"  So  that  was  it?  "  Cathewe's  jaws  hardened. 

Fitzgerald  understood.     Poor  old  Cathewe! 

"  Most  women  are  fools ! "  said  Cathewe,  as  if 
reading  his  friend's  thought.  "  Pick  out  all  the 
brutes  in  history;  they  were  always  better  loved 
than  decent  men.  Why?  God  knows!  Well, 
good  night ;  "  and  Cathewe  blew  out  his  candle. 

So  did  Fitzgerald;  but  it  was  long  before  he  fell 
asleep.  He  was  straining  his  ears  for  the  sound  of 
a  carriage  coming  down  from  Evisa.  But  none 
came. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE   PINES   OF   AITONE 

BEFORE  sun-up  they  were  on  the  way  again. 
They  circled  through  magnificent  gorges  now, 
of  deep  red  and  salmon  tinted  granite,  storm-worn, 
strangely  hollowed  out,  as  if  some  Titan's  hand  had 
been  at  work;  and  always  the  sudden  disappearance 
and  reappearance  of  the  blue  Mediterranean. 

The  two  young  women  rode  in  the  same  carriage. 
Occasionally  the  men  got  down  out  of  theirs  and 
walked  on  either  side  of  them.  Whenever  an  ab 
rupt  turn  showed  forward,  Fitzgerald  put  his  hand 
in  his  pocket.  From  whichever  way  it  came,  he,  at 
least,  was  not  going  to  be  found  unprepared. 
Sometimes,  when  he  heard  M.  Ferraud's  laughter 
drift  back  from  the  admiral's  carriage,  he  longed 
to  throttle  the  aggravating  little  man.  Yet,  his  ad 
miration  of  him  was  genuine.  What  a  chap  to  have 
wandered  round  with,  in  the  old  days!  He  began 

327 


328  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

to  realize  what  Frenchmen  must  have  been  a  hun 
dred  years  gone.  And  the  strongest  point  in  his 
armor  was  his  humanity;  he  wished  no  one  ill. 
Gradually  the  weight  on  Fitzgerald's  shoulders 
lightened.  If  M.  Ferraud  could  laugh,  why  not  he? 

"  Isn't  that  view  lovely !  "  exclaimed  Laura,  as 
the  Capo  di  Rosso  glowed  in  the  sun  with  all  the 
beauty  of  a  fabulous  ruby.  "  Are  you  afraid  at  all, 
Hildegarde?" 

"  No,  Laura ;  I  am  only  sad.  I  wish  we  were 
safely  on  the  yacht.  Yes,  yes;  I  am  afraid,  of 
something  I  know  not  what." 

"  I  never  dreamed  that  he  could  be  dishonest. 
He  was  a  gentleman,  somewhere  in  his  past.  I  do 
not  quite  understand  it  all.  The  money  does  not 
interest  my  father  so  much  as  the  mere  sport  of 
rinding  it.  You  know  it  was  agreed  to  divide,  his 
share  among  the  officers  and  seamen,  and  the  bal 
ance  to  our  guests.  It  would  have  been  such  fun." 

And  the  woman  who  knew  everything  must  per 
force  remain  silent.  With  what  eloquence  she  could 
have  defended  him! 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  find  it?  "  wistfully. 

"  No,  Laura." 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  329 

"  How  can  he  find  his  way  back  without  passing 
us?" 

"  For  a  desperate  man  who  has  thrown  his  all  on 
this  one  chance,  he  will  find  a  hundred  ways  of  re 
turning." 

A  carriage  came  round  one  of  the  pinnacled 
calenches.  It  was  empty.  M.  Ferraud  casually 
noted  the  number.  He  was  not  surprised.  He  had 
been  waiting  for  this  same  vehicle.  It  was  Breit- 
mann's,  but  the  man  driving  it  was  not  the 
man  who  had  driven  it  out  of  Ajaccio.  He  was  an 
Evisan.  A  small  butterfly  fluttered  alongside. 
M.  Ferraud  jumped  out  and  swooped  with  his  hat. 
He  decided  not  to  impart  his  discovery  to  the  others. 
He  was  assured  that  the  man  from  Evisa  knew  ab 
solutely  nothing,  and  that  to  question  him  would 
be  a  waste  of  time.  At  this  very  moment  it  was 
not  unlikely  that  Breitmann  and  his  confederate 
were  crossing  the  mountains ;  perhaps  with  three  or 
four  sturdy  donkeys,  their  panniers  packed  with 
precious  metal.  And  the  dupe  would  go  straight 
to  his  fellow-conspirators  and  share  his  millions. 
Curious  old  world! 

They  saw  Evisa  at  sunset,  one  of  the  seven  glo- 


330  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

ries  of  the  earth.  The  little  village  rests  on  the  side 
of  a  mountain,  nearly  three-thousand  feet  above  the 
sea,  the  sea  itself  lying  miles  away  to  the  west, 
V-shaped  between  two  enormous  shafts  of  burning 
granite.  Even  the  admiral  forgot  his  smoldering 
wrath. 

The  hotel  was  neat  and  cool,  and  all  the  cook  had 
to  do  was  to  furnish  dishes  and  hot  water  for  tea. 
There  was  very  little  jesting,  and  what  there  was  of 
it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Coldfield  and  the  Frenchman. 
The  spirit  in  them  all  was  tense.  Given  his  way, 
the  admiral  would  have  gone  out  that  very  night 
with  lanterns. 

"  Folly !  To  find  a  given  point  in  an  unknown 
forest  at  night;  impossible!  Am  I  not  right,  Mr. 
Cathewe?  Of  course.  Breitmann's  man  knew 
Aitone  from  his  youth.  Suppose,"  continued  M. 
Ferraud,  "  that  we  spend  two  days  here  ?  " 

"What?  Give  him  all  the  leeway?"  The  ad 
miral  was  amazed  that  M.  Ferraud  could  suggest 
such  a  stupidity.  "  No.  In  the  morning  we  make 
the  search.  If  there's  nothing  there  we'll  return  at 
once." 

M.   Ferraud   spoke  to  the  young  woman   who 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  331 

waited  on  the  table.  "  Please  find  Carlo,  the  driver, 
and  bring  him  here." 

Ten  minutes  later  Carlo  came  in,  hat  in  hand, 
curious. 

"  Carlo,"  began  the  Frenchman,  leaning  on  his 
elbows,  his  sharp  eyes  boring  into  the  mild  brown 
ones  of  the  Corsican,  "  we  shall  not  return  to  Car- 
ghese  to-morrow  but  the  day  after." 

"  Not  return  to-morrow  ?  "  cried  Carlo  dismayed. 
"  Ah,  but  the  signore  does  not  understand.  We  are 
engaged  day  after  to-morrow  to  carry  a  party  to 
Bonifacio.  We  have  promised.  We  must  return 
to-morrow." 

Fitzgerald  saw  the  drift  and  bent  forward.  The 
admiral  fumed  because  his  Italian  was  an  indiffer 
ent  article. 

"  But,"  pursued  M.  Ferraud,  "  we  will  pay  you 
twenty  francs  the  day,  just  the  same." 

"  We  are  promised."  Carlo  shrugged  and 
spread  his  hands,  but  the  glitter  in  his  questioner's 
eyes  disquieted  him. 

"  What's  this  about?  "  growled  the  admiral. 

"  The  man  says  he  must  take  us  back  to-morrow, 
or  leave  us,  as  he  has  promised  to  return  to  Ajaccio 


332  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

to  carry  a  party  to  Bonifacio,"  M.  Ferraud  ex 
plained. 

"  Then,  if  \ve  don't  go  to-morrow  it  means  a 
week  in  this  forsaken  hole  ?  " 

"  It  is  possible."  M.  Ferraud  turned  to  Carlo 
once  more.  "  We  will  make  it  fifty  francs  per 
day." 

"  Impossible,  slgnoref " 

"  Then  you  will  return  to-morrow  without  us." 

Carlo's  face  hardened.     "  But  — " 

"  Come  outside  with  me,"  said  M.  Ferraud  in  a 
tone  which  brooked  no  further  argument. 

The  two  stepped  out  into  the  hall,  and  when  the 
Frenchman  came  back  his  face  was  animated. 

"  Mr.  Ferraud,"  said  the  admiral  icily,  "  my 
daughter  has  informed  me  what  passed  between 
you.  I  must  say  that  you  have  taken  a  deal  upon 
yourself." 

"  Mr.  Ferraud  is  right,"  put  in  Fitzgerald. 

"You,  too?" 

"  Yes.  I  think  the  time  has  come  for  Mr.  Fer 
raud  to  offer  full  explanations." 

The  butterfly-hunter  resumed  his  chair.  "  They 
will  remain  or  carry  us  on  to  Corte.  From  there 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  333 

we  can  take  the  train  back  to  Ajaccio,  saving  a  day 
and  a  half.  Admiral,  I  have  a  confession  to  make. 
It  will  surprise  you,  and  I  offer  you  my  apologies  at 
once."  He  paused.  He  loved  moments  like  this, 
when  he  could  resort  to  the  dramatic  in  perfect 
security.  "  /  was  the  man  in  the  chimney." 

The  admiral  gasped.  Laura  dropped  her  hands 
to  the  table.  Cathewe  sat  back  stiffly.  Coldfield 
stared.  Hildegarde  shaded  her  face  with  the  news 
paper  through  which  she  had  been  idly  glancing. 

"  Patience ! "  as  the  admiral  made  as  though  to 
press  back  his  chair.  "  Mr.  Fitzgerald  knew  from 
the  beginning.  Is  that  not  true  ?  " 

"  It  is,  Mr.  Ferraud.     Go  on." 

"  Breitmann  is  the  great-grandson  of  Napoleon. 
By  this  time  he  is  traveling  over  some  mountain 
pass,  with  his  inheritance  snug  under  his  hand. 
You  will  ask,  why  all  these  subterfuges,  this  dodg 
ing  in  and  out?  Thus.  Could  I  have  found  the 
secret  of  the  chimney  —  I  worked  from  memory  — 
none  of  us  would  be  here,  and  one  of  the  great  con 
spiracies  of  the  time  would  have  been  nipped  in 
the  bud.  What'  do  you  think?  Breitmann  pro 
poses  to  go  into  France  with  the  torch  of  anarchy 


334  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

in  his  hand;  and  if  he  does,  he  will  be  shot.  He 
prosposes  to  divide  this  money  among  his  com 
panions,  who,  with  their  pockets  full  of  gold,  will 
desert  him  the  day  he  touches  France.  Do  you 
recollect  the  scar  on  his  temple?  It  was  not  made 
by  a  saber ;  it  is  the  mark  of  a  bullet.  He  received 
it  while  a  correspondent  in  the  Balkans.  Well,  it 
left  a  mark  on  his  brain  also.  That  is  to  say, 
he  is  conscious  of  what  he  does  but  not  why  he  does 
it.  He  is  a  sane  man  with  an  obsession.  This 
wound,  together  with  the  result  of  Germany's  brutal 
policy  toward  him  and  France's  indifference,  has 
made  him  a  kind  of  monomaniac.  You  will  ask 
why  I,  an  accredited  agent  in  the  employ  of  France, 
have  not  stepped  in  and  arrested  him.  My  evi 
dence  might  bring  him  to  trial,  but  it  would  never 
convict  him.  Once  liberated,  he  would  begin  all 
over  again,  meaning  that  I  also  would  have  to  start 
in  at  a  new  beginning.  So  I  have  let  him  proceed 
to  the  end,  and  in  doing  so  I  shall  save  him  in  spite 
of  himself.  You  see,  I  have  a  bit  of  sentiment." 

Hildegarde  could  have  reached  over  and  kissed 
his  hand. 

"Why  didn't  he  tell  all  this  to  me?"  cried  the 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  335 

admiral.  "Why  didn't  he  tell  me?  I  would  have 
helped  him." 

"  To  his  death,  perhaps,"  grimly.  "  For  the 
money  was  only  a  means,  not  an  end.  The  great- 
grandson  of  Napoleon :  well,  he  will  never  rise  from 
his  obscurity.  And  sometime,  when  the  clouds  lift 
from  his  brain,  he  will  remember  me.  I  have  seen 
in  your  American  cottages  the  motto  hanging  on 
the  walls  —  God  Bless  Our  Home.  Mr.  Breitmann 
will  place  my  photograph  beside  it  and  smoke  his 
cigarette  in  peace." 

And  this  whimsical  turn  caused  even  the  admiral 
to  struggle  with  a  smile.  He  was  a  square,  gen 
erous  old  sailor.  He  stretched  his  hand  across  the 
table.  M.  Ferraud  took  it,  but  with  a  shade  of 
doubt. 

"  You  are  a  good  man,  Mr.  Ferraud.  I'm  ter 
ribly  disappointed.  All  my  life  I  have  been  goose- 
chasing  for  treasures,  and  this  one  I  had  set  my 
heart  on.  You've  gone  about  it  the  best  you  could. 
If  you  had  told  me  from  the  start  there  wouldn't 
have  been  any  fun." 

"  That  is  it,"  eagerly  assented  M.  Ferraud. 
"  Why  should  I  spoil  your  innocent  pleasure  ? 


336  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

For  a  month  you  have  lived  in  a  fine  adventure,  and 
no  harm  has  befallen.  And  when  you  return  to 
America,  you  will  have  an  unrivaled  story  to  tell; 
but,  I  do  not  think  you  will  ever  tell  all  of  it. 
He  will  have  paid  in  wretchedness  and  humiliation 
for  his  inheritance.  And  who  has  a  better  right  to 
it?  Every  coin  may  represent  a  sacrifice,  a  depriva 
tion,  and  those  who  gave  it  freely,  gave  it  to  the 
blood.  Is  it  sometimes  that  you  laugh  at  French 
sentiment  ?  " 

"  Not  in  Frenchmen  like  you,"  said  the  admiral 
gravely. 

"  Good !  To  men  of  heart  what  matters  the 
tongue  ?  "  ' 

"  Poor  young  man !  "  sighed  Laura.  "  I  am  glad 
he  has  found  it.  Didn't  I  wish  him  to  have  it  ?  " 

"  And  you  knew  all  this?  "  said  Cathewe  into  the 
ear  of  the  woman  he  loved. 

Thinly  the  word  came  through  her  lips :  "  Yes." 

Cathewe's  chin  sank  into  his  collar  and  he  stared 
at  the  crumbs  on  the  cloth. 

"  But  what  meant  this  argument  with  the 
drivers  ?  "  asked  Coldfield. 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  337 

"  Yes !  I  had  forgotten  that,"  supplemented  the 
sailor. 

"  On  the  way  back  to  Carghese,  we  should  have 
been  stopped.  We  were  to  be  quietly  but  effec 
tively  suppressed  till  our  Napoleon  set  sail  for  Mar 
seilles."  M.  Ferraud  bowed.  He  had  no  more  to 
add. 

The  admiral  shook  his  head.  He  had  come  to 
Corsica  as  one  might  go  to  a  picnic ;  and  here  he  had 
almost  toppled  over  into  a  gulf ! 

The  significance  of  the  swift  glance  which  was 
exchanged  between  M.  Ferraud  and  Fitzgerald  was 
not  translatable  to  Laura,  who  alone  caught  it  in 
its  transit.  An  idea  took  possession  of  her,  but 
this  idea  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  glance,  which 
she  forgot  almost  instantly.  Woman  has  a  way 
with  a  man ;  she  leads  him  whither  she  desires,  and 
never  is  he  any  the  wiser.  She  will  throw  ob 
stacles  in  his  way,  or  she  will  tear  down  walls  that 
rise  up  before  him;  she  will  make  a  mile  out  of  a 
rod,  or  turn  a  mountain  into  a  mole-hill :  and  none 
but  the  Cumsean  Sibyl  could  tell  why.  And  as 
Laura  was  of  the  disposition  to  walk  down  by  the 


338  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

cemetery,  to  take  a  final  view  of  the  sea  before  it 
melted  into  the  sky,  what  was  more  natural  than 
that  Fitzgerald  should  follow  her?  They  walked 
on  in  the  peace  of  twilight,  unmindful  of  the 
curiosity  of  the  villagers  or  of  the  play  of  chil 
dren  about  their  feet.  The  two  were  strangely 
silent ;  but  to  him  it  seemed  that  she  must  presently 
hear  the  thunder  of  his  insurgent  heart.  At  length 
she  paused,  gazing  toward  the  sea  upon  which  the 
purples  of  night  were  rapidly  deepening. 

"And  if  I  had  not  made  that  wager!"  he  said, 
following  aloud  his  train  of  thought. 

"  And  if  I  had  not  bought  that  statuette! "  pick 
ing  up  the  thread.  If  she  had  laughed,  nothing 
might  have  happened.  But  her  voice  was  low  and 
sweet  and  ruminating. 

The  dam  of  his  reserve  broke,  and  the  great  cur 
rent  of  life  rushed  over  his  lips,  to  happiness  or  to 
misery,  whichever  it  was  to  be. 

"  I  love  you,  and  I  can  no  more  help  telling  you 
than  I  can  help  breathing.  I  have  tried  not  to 
speak.  I  have  so  little  to  offer.  I  have  been  lonely 
so  long.  I  did  not  mean  to  tell  you  here;  but  I've 
done  it."  He  ceased,  terrified.  His  voice  had 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  339 

diminished  down  to  a  mere  whisper,  and  finally  re 
fused  to  work  at  all. 

Still  she  stared  out  to  sea. 

He  found  his  voice  again.  "  So  there  isn't  any 
hope?  There  is  some  one  else?"  He  was  very 
miserable. 

"  Had  there  been,  I  should  have  stopped  you  at 
once." 

"But    .     .     .!" 

"  Do  you  wish  a  more  definite  answer  .  .  . 
John  ?  "  And  only  then  did  she  turn  her  head. 

"  Yes !  "  his  courage  coming  back  full  and  strong. 
"  I  want  you  to  tell  me  you  love  me,  and  while  my 
arms  are  round  you  like  this !  May  I  kiss  you  ?  " 

"  No  other  man  save  my  father  shall." 

"  Ah,  I  haven't  done  anything  to  deserve  this !  " 

"No?" 

"  I'm  not  even  a  third-rate  hero." 

"  No?  "  with  gentle  raillery. 

"  Say  you  love  me !  " 

"  Amo,  ama,  amiamo     .     .     ." 

"  In  English ;  I  have  never  heard  it  in  English." 

"  So,"  pushing  back  from  him,  "  you  have  heard 
it  in  Italian?" 


340  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Laura,  I  didn't  mean  that !  There  was  never 
any  one  else.  Say  it !  " 

So  she  said  it  softly;  she  repeated  it,  as  though 
the  utterance  was  as  sweet  to  her  lips  as  it  was  to 
his  ears.  And  then,  for  the  first  time,  she  became 
supine  in  his  arms.  With  his  cheek  touching  the 
hair  on  her  brow,  they  together  watched  but  did  not 
see  the  final  conquest  of  the  day. 

"  And  I  have  had  the  courage  to  ask  you  to  be 
my  wife  ?  "  It  was  wonderful. 

Napoleon,  his  hunted  great-grandson,  the  treas 
ure,  all  these  had  ceased  to  exist. 

"John,  when  you  lay  in  the  corridor  the  other 
night,  and  I  thought  you  were  dying,  I  kissed  you." 
Her  arm  tightened  as  did  his.  "  Will  you  promise 
never  to  tell  if  I  confess  a  secret?  " 

"  I  promise." 

"  You  never  would  have  had  the  courage  to  pro 
pose  if  I  hadn't  deliberately  brought  you  here  for 
that  purpose.  It  was  I  who  proposed  to  you." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  quite  get  that,"  doubtfully. 

"  Then  we'll  let  the  subject  rest  where  it  is.  You 
might  bring  it  up  in  after  years."  Her  laughter 
was  happy. 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  341 

He  raised  his  eyes  reverently  toward  heaven. 
She  would  never  know  that  she  had  stood  in  dan 
ger. 

"  But  your  father !  "  with  a  note  of  sudden  alarm. 
And  all  the  worldly  sides  to  the  dream  burst  upon 
him. 

"  Father  is  only  the  '  company,'  John." 

And  so  the  admiral  himself  admitted  when,  an 
hour  later,  Fitzgerald  put  the  affair  before  him, 
briefly  and  frankly. 

"  It  is  all  her  concern,  my  son,  and  only  part  of 
mine.  My  part  is  to  see  that  you  keep  in  order. 
I  don't  know;  I  rather  expected  it.  Of  course," 
said  the  admiral,  shifting  his  cigar,  "  there's  a 
business  end  to  it.  I'm  a  rich  man,  but  Laura  isn't 
worth  a  cent,  in  money.  Young  men  generally  get 
the  wrong  idea,  that  daughters  of  wealthy  parents 
must  also  be  wealthy."  He  was  glad  to  hear  the 
young  man  laugh.  It  was  a  good  sign. 

"  My  earnings  and  my  income  amount  to  about 
seven-thousand  a  year;  and  with  an  object  in  view 
I  can  earn  more.  She  says  that  will  be  plenty." 

"  She's  a  sensible  girl ;  that  ought  to  do  to  start 
on.  But  let  there  be  no  nonsense  about  money. 


342  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Laura's  happiness ;  that's  the  only  thing  worth  con 
sidering.  I  use  to  be  afraid  that  she  might  bring 
a  duke  home."  It  was  too  dark  for  Fitzgerald  to 
see  the  twinkle  in  the  eyes  of  his  future  father-in- 
law.  "If  worst  comes  to  worst,  why,  you  can  be 
my  private  secretary.  The  job  is  open  at  present," 
dryly.  "  I've  been  watching  you ;  and  I'm  not 
afraid  of  your  father's  son.  Where's  it  to  be?  " 

"  We  haven't  talked  that  over  yet." 

The  admiral  drew  him  down  to  the  space  beside 
him  on  the  parapet  and  offered  the  second  greatest 
gift  in  his  possession:  one  of  his  selected  perfectos. 

The  course  of  true  love  does  not  always  run  so 
smoothly.  A  short  distance  up  the  road  Cathewe 
was  grimly  righting  for  his  happiness. 

"  Hildegarde,  forget  him.  Must  he  spoil  both 
our  lives?  Come  with  me,  be  my  wife.  I  will 
make  any  and  all  sacrifices  toward  your  content 
ment." 

"  Have  we  not  threshed  this  all  out  before,  my 
friend?"  sadly.  "Do  not  ask  me  to  forget  him; 
rather  let  me  ask  you  to  forget  me." 

"  He  will  never  be  loyal  to  any  one  but  himself. 
He  is  selfish  to  the  core.  Has  he  not  proved  it  ?  " 


THE  PINES  OF  AITONE  343 

Where  were  the  words  he  needed  for  this  last  de 
fense?  Where  his  arguments  to  convince  her? 
He  was  losing;  in  his  soul  he  knew  it.  If  his  love 
for  her  was  strong,  hers  for  this  outcast  was  no 
less.  "  I  have  never  wished  the  death  of  any  man, 
but  if  he  should  die  .  .  . !  " 

She  interrupted  him,  her  hands  extended  as  in 
pleading.  Never  had  he  seen  a  woman's  face  so 
sad,  "  Arthur,  I  have  more  faith  in  you  than  in  any 
other  man,  and  I  prize  your  friendship  above  all 
other  things.  But  who  can  say  must  to  the  heart? 
Not  you,  not  I!  Have  I  not  fought  it?  Have  I 
not  striven  to  forget,  to  trample  out  this  fire  ?  Have 
you  yourself  not  tried  to  banish  me  from  your 
heart?  Have  you  succeeded?  Do  you  remember 
that  night  in  Munich?  My  voice  broke,  miserably, 
and  my  public  career  was  ruined.  What  caused 
it  ?  A  note  from  him,  saying  that  he  had  tired  of 
the  role  and  was  leaving.  It  was  not  my  love  he 
wanted  after  all;  a  slip  of  paper,  which  at  any  time 
would  have  been  his  for  the  asking.  Arthur,  my 
friend,  when  you  go  from  me  presently  it  will  be 
with  loathing.  That  night  you  went  to  his  room 
.  .  .  he  lied  to  you." 


344  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"About  what?" 

"  I  mean,  if  I  can  not  be  his  wife,  I  can  not  in 
honor  be  any  man's.  God  pity  me,  but  must  I  make 
it  plainer  ? " 

Here,  he  believed,  was  his  last  throw.  "  Have  I 
not  told  you  that  nothing  mattered,  nothing  at  all 
save  that  I  love  you  ?  " 

"  I  can  not  argue  more,"  wearily. 

"  He  will  tire  of  you  again,"  desperately. 

"  I  know  it.  But  in  my  heart  something  speaks 
that  he  will  need  me;  and  when  he  does  I  shall  go 
to  him." 

"  God  in  heaven !  to  be  loved  like  that!  " 

Scarcely  realizing  the  violence  of  his  action,  he 
crushed  her  to  his  heart,  roughly,  and  kissed  her 
face,  her  eyes,  her  hair.  She  did  not  struggle.  It 
was  all  over  in  a  moment.  Then  he  released  her 
and  turned  away  toward  the  dusty  road.  She  was 
not  angry.  She  understood.  It  was  the  farewell 
of  the  one  man  who  had  loved  her  in  honor.  Pres 
ently  he  seemed  to  dissolve  into  the  shadows,  and 
she  knew  that  out  of  her  life  he  had  gone  for  ever. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   DUPE 

THE  next  morning  Fitzgerald  found  Cathewe's 
note  under  his  plate.     He  opened  it  with  a 
sense  of  disaster. 

"  MY  DEAR  OLD  JACK  : 

"I'm  off.  Found  a  pony  and  shall  jog  to  Ajac- 
cio  by  the  route  we  came.  Please  take  my  luggage 
back  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  and  I'll  pick  it  up.  And 
have  my  trunk  sent  ashore,  too.  I  shan't  go  back 
to  America  with  the  admiral,  bless  his  kindly  old 
heart!  I'm  off  to  Mombassa.  Always  keep  a 
shooting-kit  there  for  emergencies.  I  suppose  you'll 
understand.  Be  kind  to  her,  and  help  her  in  any 
way  you  can.  I  hope  I  shan't  run  into  Breitmann. 
I  should  kill  him  out  of  hand.  Happiness  to  you, 
my  boy.  And  maybe  I'll  ship  you  a  trophy  for  the 
wedding.  Explain  my  departure  in  any  way  you 
please. 

"  CATHEWE." 

The  reader  folded  the  note  and  stowed  it  away. 
Somehow,  the  bloom  was  gone  from  things.  He 

345 


346  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

was  very  fond  of  Cathewe,  kindly,  gentle,  brave, 
and  chivalrous.  What  was  the  matter  with  the 
woman,  anyhow  ?  How  to  explain  ?  The  simplest 
way  would  be  to  state  that  Cathewe  had  gone  back 
to  Ajaccio.  The  why  and  wherefore  should  be  left 
to  the  imagination.  But,  oddly  enough,  no  one 
asked  a  second  question.  They  accepted  Cathewe's 
defection  without  verbal  comment.  What  they 
thought  was  of  no  immediate  consequence.  Fitz 
gerald  was  gloomy  till  that  moment  when  Laura 
joined  him.  To  her,  of  course,  he  explained  the 
situation. 

Neither  she  nor  Hildegarde  cared  to  go  up  to  the 
forest.  They  would  find  nothing  but  a  hole.  And 
indeed,  when  the  men  returned  from  the  pines, 
weary,  dusty,  and  dissatisfied,  they  declared  that 
they  had  gone,  not  with  the  expectation  of  finding 
anything,  but  to  certify  a  fact. 

M.  Ferraud  was  now  in  a  great  hurry.  Forty 
miles  to  Corte;  night  or  not,  they  must  make  the 
town.  There  was  no  dissention;  the  spell  of  the 
little  man  was  upon  them  all. 

Hildegarde  rode  alone,  in  the  middle  carriage. 
Such  had  been  her  desire.  She  did  not  touch  her 


THE  DUPE  347 

supper.  And  when,  late  at  night,  they  entered  the 
gates  of  Corte  and  stepped  down  before  the  hotel 
lights,  Laura  observed  that  Hildegarde's  face  was 
streaked  by  the  passage  of  many  burning  tears. 
She  longed  to  comfort  her,  but  the  older  woman 
held  aloof. 

Men  rarely  note  these  things,  and  when  they  do 
it  has  to  be  forced  upon  them.  Fitzgerald,  genuine 
in  his  regret  for  Cathewe,  was  otherwise  at  peace 
with  the  world.  He  alone  of  them  all  had  found  a 
treasure,  the  incomparable  treasure  of  a  woman's 
love. 

Racing  his  horses  all  through  the  night,  scouring 
for  fresh  ones  at  dawn  and  finding  them,  and  away 
again,  climbing,  turning,  climbing  round  this  pass, 
over  that  bridge,  through  this  cut,  thus  flew  Breit- 
mann,  the  passion  of  haste  upon  him.  By  this 
tremendous  pace  he  succeeded  in  arriving  at  Evisa 
before  the  admiral  had  covered  half  the  distance  to 
Carghese. 

How  clear  and  keen  his  mind  was  as  on  he  rolled ! 
A  thousand  places  wove  themselves  to  the  parent- 
stem.  He  even  laughed  aloud,  sending  a  shiver  up 


348  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

the  spine  of  the  driver,  who  was  certain  his  old 
padrone  was  mad.  The  face  of  Laura  drifted  past 
him  as  in  a  dream,  and  then  again,  that  of  the  other 
woman.  No,  no;  he  regretted  nothing,  absolutely 
nothing.  But  he  had  been  a  fool  there;  he  had 
wasted  time  and  lent  himself  to  a  despicable  in 
trigue.  For  all  that  he  outcried  it,  there  was  a 
touch  of  shame  on  his  cheeks  when  he  remembered 
that,  had  he  asked,  she  would  have  given  him  that 
scrap  of  paper  the  first  hour  of  their  meeting. 
Somewhere  in  Hildegarde  von  Mitter  lay  dormant 
the  spirit  of  heroes.  He  had  made  a  mistake. 

Two  millions  of  shining  money,  gold,  silver,  and 
English  notes!  And  he  laughed  again  as  he  re 
called  M.  Ferraud,  caught  in  a  trap.  He  was 
clever,  but  not  clever  enough.  What  a  stroke !  To 
make-  prisoners  of  the  party  on  their  return,  to  carry 
the  girl  away  into  the  mountains!  Would  any  of 
them  think  of  treasures,  of  conspiracies,  with  her 
as  a  hostage  ?  He  thought  not.  In  the  hue  and  cry 
for  her,  these  elements  in  the  game  would  fall  to  a 
minor  place.  Well  he  knew  M.  Ferraud :  he  would 
call  to  heaven  for  the  safety  of  Laura.  Love  her? 
Yes!  She  was  the  one  woman.  But  men  did  not 


THE  DUPE  349 

make  captives  of  women  and  obtain  their  love.  He 
knew  the  futility  of  such  coercion.  He  had  com 
mitted  two  or  three  scoundrelly  acts,  but  never 
would  he  or  could  he  sink  to  such  a  level.  No.  He 
meant  no  harm  at  all.  Frighten  her,  perhaps,  and 
terrorize  the  others;  and  mayhap  take  a  kiss  as  he 
left  her  to  the  coming  of  her  friends.  Nothing  more 
serious  than  that. 

Two  millions  in  gold  and  silver  and  English 
notes!  He  would  have  his  revenge  for  all  these 
years  of  struggle  and  failure;  for  the  cold  and  cal 
lous  policies  of  state  which  had  driven  him  to  this 
piece  of  roguery,  on  their  heads  be  it.  Two  thou 
sand  in  Marseilles,  ready  at  his  beck  and  call,  a 
thousand  more  in  Avignon,  in  Lyons,  in  Dijon,  and 
so  on  up  to  Paris,  the  Paris  he  had  cursed  one  night 
from  under  his  mansard.  In  a  week  he  would  have 
them  shaking  in  their  boots.  The  unemployed,  the 
idlers,  thieves,  his  to  a  man.  If  he  saw  his  own 
death  at  the  end,  little  he  cared.  He  would  have 
one  great  moment,  pay  off  the  score,  France  as  well 
as  Germany.  He  would  at  least  live  to  see  them 
harrying  each  other's  throats.  To  declare  to  France 
that  he  was  only  Germany's  tool,  put  forward  for 


350  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

the  sole  purpose  of  destroying  peace  in  the  midst 
of  a  great  military  crisis.  He  had  other  papers, 
and  the  prying  little  Frenchman  had  never  seen 
those ;  clever  forgeries,  bearing  the  signature  of  cer 
tain  great  German  personages.  These  should  they 
find  at  the  selected  moment.  Let  them  rip  one  an 
other's  throats,  the  dogs!  Two  million  of  francs, 
enough  to  purchase  a  hundred  thousand  men. 

"  Ah,  my  great-grandsire,  if  spirits  have  eyes, 
yours  will  see  something  presently.  And  that  poor 
little  devil  of  a  secret  agent  thinks  I  want  a  crown 
on  my  head!  There  was  a  time  .  .  .  Curse 
these  infernal  headaches !  " 

On,  on;  hurry,  hurry.  The  driver  was  faithful, 
a  sometime  brigand  and  later  a  harbor  boatman; 
and  of  all  his  confederates  this  one  was  the  only 
man  he  dared  trust  on  an  errand  of  this  kind. 

Evisa.  They  did  not  pause.  They  ate  their  sup 
per  on  the  way.  With  three  Sardinian  donkeys, 
strong  and  patient  little  brutes,  with  lanterns  and 
shovels  and  sacks,  the  two  fared  into  the  pines. 
Aitone  was  all  familiar  ground  to  the  Corsican  who, 
in  younger  days,  had  taken  his  illegal  tithe  from 
these  hills.  They  found  the  range  soon  enough, 


THE  DUPE  351 

but  made  a  dozen  mistakes  in  measurements ;  and  it 
was  long  toward  midnight,  when  the  oil  of  the 
lanterns  ran  low,  that  their  shovels  bore  down  into 
the  precious  pocket.  The  earth  flew.  They 
worked  like  madmen,  with  nervous  energy  and 
power  of  will;  and  when  the  chest  finally  came  into 
sight,  rotten  with  age  and  the  soak  of  earth,  they 
fell  back  against  a  tree,  on  the  verge  of  collapse. 
The  hair  was  damp  on  their  foreheads,  their  breath 
came  harshly,  almost  in  sobs. 

Suddenly  Breitmann  fell  upon  his  knees  and 
laughed  hysterically,  plunged  his  blistered  hands 
into  the  shining  heap.  It  played  through  his  fingers 
in  little  musical  cascades.  He  rose. 

"  Pietro,  you  have  been  faithful  to  me.  Put  your 
two  hands  in  there." 

"  I,  padrone?  "  stupefied. 

"  Go  on !  Go  on !  As  much  as  your  two  hands 
can  hold  is  yours.  Dig  them  in  deep,  man,  dig 
them  in  deep !  " 

With  a  cry  Pietro  dropped  and  burrowed  into  the 
gold  and  silver.  A  dozen  times  he  started  to  with 
draw  his  hands,  but  they  trembled  so  that  some  of 
the  coins  would  slip  and  fall.  At  last,  with  one 


352  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

desperate  plunge,  the  money  running  down  toward 
his  elbows,  he  turned  aside  and  let  fall  his  burden 
on  the  new  earth  outside  the  shallow  pit.  He 
rolled  beside  it,  done  for,  in  a  fainting  state.  Breit- 
mann  laughed  wildly. 

"  Come,  come ;  we  have  no  time.  Put  it  into 
your  pockets." 

"  But,  padrone j  I  have  not  counted  it !  "  naively. 

"  To-morrow,  when  we  make  camp  for  breakfast. 
Let  us  hurry." 

Quickly  Pietro  stuffed  his  pockets,  jabbering  in 
his  patois,  swearing  so  many  candles  to  the  Virgin 
for  this  night's  work.  Then  began  the  loading  of 
the  sacks,  and  these  were  finally  dumped  into  the 
donkey-panniers. 

"  Now,  Pietro,  the  shortest  cut  to  Ajaccio. 
First,  your  hand  on  your  amulet,  and  oath  never  to 
reveal  what  has  happened." 

Pietro  swore  solemnly.  "  I  am  ready  now, 
padrone!  " 

"  Lead  on,  then,"  replied  Breitmann.  Impul 
sively  he  raised  his  hands  high  above  his  head. 
"Mine,  all  mine!" 


THE  DUPE  353 

He  wiped  his  face  and  hands,  pulled  his  cap  down 
firmly,  lighted  a  cigarette,  struck  the  rear  donkey, 
and  the  hazardous  journey  began. 

Seven  men,  more  or  less  young,  with  a  genial  air 
of  dissipation  about  their  eyes  and  a  varied  degree 
of  recklessness  lurking  at  the  corners  of  their 
mouths;  seven  men  sat  round  a  table  in  a  house  in 
the  Rue  St.  Charles.  They  had  been  eating  and 
drinking  rather  luxuriously  for  Ajaccio.  The  Rue 
St.  Charles  is  neither  spacious  nor  elegant  as  a 
thoroughfare,  but  at  that  point  where  it  turns  into 
the  Place  Letltia  it  is  quiet  and  unfrequented  at 
night.  A  film  of  tobacco  smoke  wavered  in  and 
out  among  the  guttering  candles  and  streamed  round 
the  empty  and  part  empty  champagne  bottles.  At 
the  head  of  the  table  sat  Breitmann,  still  pale  and 
weary  from  his  Herculean  labors.  His  face  was 
immobile,  but  his  eyes  were  lively. 

"  To-morrow,"  said  Breitmann,  "  we  leave  for 
France.  On  board  the  moneys  will  be  equally  di 
vided.  Then,  for  the  work."  His  voice  was  cold, 
authoritative. 


354  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  Two  millions !  "  mused  Picard,  from  behind  a 
fresh  cloud  of  smoke.  He  picked  up  a  bottle  and 
gravely  filled  his  glass,  beckoning  to  the  others  to 
follow  his  example.  At  another  sign  all  rose  to 
their  feet,  Breitmann  alone  remaining  seated,  "  To 
the  Day!" 

Breitmann's  lips  grew  thinner;  that  was  the  only 
sign. 

Outside,  glancing  obliquely  through  the  grilled 
window,  stood  M.  Ferraud.  He  had  not  seen  these 
worthies  together  before.  He  knew  all  of  them. 
There  was  not  a  shoulder  among  them  that  he  could 
not  lay  a  hand  upon  and  voice  with  surety  the  order 
of  the  law.  Courage  of  a  kind  they  all  had,  names 
once  written  gloriously  in  history  but  now  merely 
passports  into  dubious  traffics.  Heroes  of  boule 
vard  exploits,  duelists,  card-players ;  could  it  be  pos 
sible  that  any  sane  man  should  be  their  dupe? 
After  the  strange  toast  he  heard  many  things,  some 
he  had  known,  some  he  had  guessed  at,  and  some 
which  surprised  him.  Only  loyalty  was  lacking  to 
make  them  feared  indeed.  Presently  he  saw  Breit 
mann  rise.  He  was  tired;  he  needed  sleep.  On 
the  morrow,  then;  and  in  a  week  the  first  blow  of 


THE  DUPE  355 

the  new  terror.  They  all  bowed  respectfully  as  he 
passed  out. 

The  secret  agent  followed  him  till  he  reached  the 
Place  des  Palmiers.  He  put  a  hand  on  Breitmann's 
arm.  The  latter,  highly  keyed,  swung  quickly. 
And  seeing  who  it  was  (the  man  he  believed  to  be 
at  that  moment  a  prisoner  in  the  middle  country!), 
he  made  a  sinister  move  toward  his  hip.  M.  Fer- 
raud  was  in  peril,  and  he  realized  it. 

"  Wait  a  moment,  Monsieur ;  there  is  no  need  of 
that.  I  repeat,  I  wish  you  well,  and  this  night  I 
will  prove  it.  What  ?  do  you  not  know  that  I  could 
have  put  my  hand  on  you  at  any  moment  ?  Attend. 
Return  with  me  to  the  little  house  in  Rue  St. 
Charles." 

Brietmann's  hand   again  stole  toward   his  hip. 

"  You  were  listening?  " 

"  Yes.  Be  careful.  My  death  would  not  change 
anything.  I  wish  to  disillusion  you ;  I  wish  to  prove 
to  you  how  deeply  you  are  the  dupe  of  those  men. 
All  your  plans  have  been  remarkable,  but  not  one  of 
them  has  remained  unknown  to  me.  You  clasp  the 
hand  of  this  duke  who  plays  the  sailor  under  the 
name  of  Picard,  who  hails  you  as  a  future  emperor, 


356  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

and  stabs  you  behind  your  back?  How?  Double- 
face  that  he  is,  have  I  not  proof  that  he  has  written 
detail  after  detail  of  this  conspiracy  to  the  Quai 
d'Orsay,  and  that  he  has  clung  to  you  only  to  gain 
his  share  of  what  is  yours?  Zut!  Come  back  with 
me  and  let  your  own  ears  testify.  The  fact  that  I 
am  not  in  the  mountains  should  convince  you  how 
strong  I  am." 

Breitmann  hesitated,  wondering  whether  he  had 
best  shoot  this  meddler  then  and  there  and  cut  for 
it,  or  follow  him. 

"  I  will  go  with  you.  But  I  give  you  this  warn 
ing:  if  what  I  hear  is  not  what  you  expect  me  to 
hear,  I  promise  to  put  a  bullet  into  your  meddling 
head." 

"  I  agree  to  that,"  replied  the  other.  He  did  not 
underestimate  his  danger;  neither  did  he  under 
value  his  intimate  knowledge  of  human  nature. 

With  what  emotions  Breitmann  returned  to  the 
scene  of  his  triumph,  his  self-appointed  companion 
could  only  surmise.  He  had  determined  to  save 
this  young  fool  in  spite  of  his  madness,  and  never 
had  he  failed  to  bring  his  enterprises  to  their  fore- 
arranged  end.  And  there  was  sentiment  between 


THE  DUPE  357 

all  this,  sentiment  he  would  not  have  been  ashamed 
to  avow.  Upon  chance,  then,  fickle  inconstant 
chance,  depended  the  success  of  the  seven  years' 
labor.  If  by  this  time  the  wine  had  not  loosened 
their  tongues,  or  if  they  had  disappeared! 

But  fortune  favors  the  persistent  no  less  than  the 
brave.  The  profligates  were  still  at  the  table,  and 
there  were  fresh  bottles  of  wine.  They  were  laugh 
ing  and  talking.  In  all,  not  more  than  fifteen 
minutes  had  elapsed  since  Breitmann's  departure. 
M.  Ferraud  stationed  him  by  the  window  and  kept 
a  hand  lightly  upon  his  arm,  as  one  might  place  a 
finger  on  a  pulse. 

Of  what  were  they  talking?  Ostend.  The  bal 
let-dancers.  The  races  in  May.  The  shooting  at 
Monte  Carlo.  Gaming-tables,  empty  purses.  And 
again  ballet-dancers. 

"  To  divide  two  millions !  "  cried  one.  "  That 
will  clear  my  debts,  with  a  little  for  Dieppe." 

"  Two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  francs ! 
Princely !  " 

And  then  the  voice  of  the  master-spirit,  pitiless, 
ironical;  Picard's.  "Was  there  ever  such  a  dupe? 
And  not  to  laugh  in  his  face  is  penance  for  my  sins. 


358  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

A  Dutchman,  a  bullet-headed  clod  from  Bavaria,  the 
land  of  sausage,  beer,  and  daschunds ;  and  this  shall 
be  written  Napoleon  IV!  Ye  gods,  what  farce, 
comedy,  vaudeville!  But,  there  was  always  that 
hope:  if  he  found  the  money  he  would  divide  it. 
So,  kowtow,  kowtow !  Opera  bouffe !  " 

Breitmann  shuddered.  M.  Ferraud,  feeling  that 
shudder  under  his  hand,  relaxed  his  shoulders.  He 
had  won ! 

"  An  empire !     Will  you  believe  it  ?  " 

"  I  suggest  the  eagle  rampant  on  a  sausage !  " 

"  No,  no ;  the  lily  on  the  beer-pot !  " 

The  scene  went  on.  The  butt  of  it  heard  jest  and 
ridicule.  They  were  pillorying  him  with  the  light 
and  matchless  cruelty  of  wits.  And  he,  poor  fool, 
had  believed  them  to  be  his  dupes,  whereas  he  was 
theirs!  Gently  he  disengaged  himself  from  M. 
Ferraud's  grasp. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  whispered  the 
hunter  of  butterflies. 

"  Watch  and  see." 

Breitmann  walked  noiselessly  round  to  the  en 
trance,  and  M.  Ferraud  lost  sight  of  him  for  a  few 
moments.  Picard  was  on  his  feet,  mimicking  his 


THE  DUPE  359 

dupe  by  assuming  a  Napoleonic  pose.  The  door 
opened  and  Breitmann  stood  quietly  on  the  thresh 
old.  A  hush  fell  on  the  revelers.  There  was 
something  kingly  in  the  contempt  with  which  Breit 
mann  swept  the  startled  faces.  He  stepped  up  to 
the  table,  took  up  a  full  glass  of  wine  and  threw  it 
into  Picard's  face. 

"  Only  one  of  us  shall  leave  Corsica,"  said  the 
dupe. 

"  Certainly  it  will  not  be  your  majesty,"  replied 
Picard,  wiping  his  face  with  a  serviette.  "  His 
majesty  will  waive  his  rights  to  meet  me.  To-mor 
row  morning  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  writing 
finis  to  this  Napoleonic  phase.  You  fool,  you  shall 
die  for  that !  " 

"  That,"  returned  Breitmann,  still  unruffled  as  he 
went  to  the  door,  "  remains  to  be"  seen.  Gentlemen, 
I  regret  to  say  that  your  monetary  difficulties  must 
continue  unchanged." 

"  Oh,  for  fifty  years  ago ! "  murmured  the  little 
scene-shifter  from  the  dark  of  his  shelter. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE    END    OF   THE   DREAM 

IT  took  place  on  the  road  which  runs  from  Ajac- 
cio  to  the  Cap  de  la  Parata,  not  far  from  lies 
Sanguinaires;  not  a  main-traveled  road.  The  sun 
had  not  yet  crossed  the  mountains,  but  a  crisp  gray 
light  lay  over  land  and  sea.  They  fired  at  the  same 
time.  The  duke  lowered  his  pistol,  and  through 
the  smoke  he  saw  Breitmann  pitch  headforemost 
into  the  thick  white  dust.  Presently,  nay  almost  in 
stantly,  the  dust  at  the  left  side  of  the  stricken  man 
became  a  creeping  blackness.  The  surgeon  sprang 
forward. 

"Dead?"  asked  Picard. 

"  No !  through  the  shoulder.  He  has  a  fighting 
chance." 

11  The  wine  last  night ;  my  hand  wasn't  steady 
enough.  Some  day  the  fool  will  curse  me  as  a  poor 
shot.  The  devil  take  the  business!  Not  a  sou 

360 


THE  END  OF  THE  DREAM          361 

for  my  pocket,  out  of  all  the  trouble  I  have  had. 
But  for  the  want  of  a  clear  head  I  should  be  a  rich 
man  to-day.  Who  thought  he  would  come  back  ?  " 

"  I  did,"  answered  M.  Ferraud. 

"You?" 

"  With  pleasure !  I  brought  him  back ;  thank  me 
for  your  empty  pockets,  Monsieur.  If  I  were  you 
I  should  not  land  at  Marseilles.  Try  Livarno,  by 
all  means,  Livarno." 

"  For  this  ?  "  asked  Picard,  with  a  jerk  of  his 
head  toward  Breitmann,  who  was  being  carefully 
lifted  on  to  the  carriage  seat. 

"  No,  for  certain  letters  you  have  not  sent  to  the 
Quai  d'Orsay.  You  comprehend?" 

"What  do  you  mean?"  truculently;  for  Picard 
was  not  in  a  kindly  mood  this  morning. 

But  the  little  Bayard  of  the  Quai  laughed. 
"  Shall  I  explain  here,  Monsieur?  Be  wise.  Go 
to  Italy,  all  of  you.  This  time  you  overreached, 
Monsieur  le  Due.  Your  ballet-dancers  must  wait !  " 
And  with  rare  insolence,  M.  Ferraud  showed  his 
back  to  his  audience,  climbed  to  the  seat  by  the 
driver,  and  bade  him  return  slowly  to  the  Grand 
Hotel. 


362  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Hildegarde  refused  to  see  any  one  but  M.  Fer- 
raud.  Hour  after  hour  she  sat  by  the  bed  of  the  in 
jured  man.  Knowing  that  in  all  probability  he 
would  live,  she  was  happy  for  the  first  time  in  years. 
He  needed  her;  alone,  broken,  wrecked  among  his 
dreams,  he  needed  her.  He  had  recovered  con 
sciousness  almost  at  once,  and  his  first  words  were 
a  curse  on  the  man  who  had  aimed  so  badly.  He 
could  talk  but  little,  but  he  declared  that  he  would 
rip  the  bandages  if  they  did  not  prop  his  pillows  so 
he  could  see  the  bay.  The  second  time  he  woke  he 
saw  Hildegarde.  She  smiled  brokenly,  but  he 
turned  his  head  aside. 

"  Has  the  yacht  gone  yet?  " 

"  No." 

"When  will  it  sail?" 

"  To-morrow."  Her  heart  swelled  with  bitter 
pain.  The  woman  he  loved  would  be  on  that  yacht. 
But  toward  Laura  she  held  nothing  but  kindness 
tinged  with  a  wondering  envy.  Was  not  she,  Hilde 
garde,  as  beautiful?  Had  Laura  more  talents  than 
she,  more  accomplishments?  Alas,  yes;  one!  She 
had  had  the  unconscious  power  of  making  this  man 
love  her. 


THE  END  OF  THE  DREAM         363 

To  and  fro  she  waved  the  fan.  For  a  while,  at 
any  rate,  he  would  be  hers.  And  when  M.  Ferraud 
said  that  the  others  wished  to  say  farewell,  she  de 
clined.  She  could  look  none  of  them  in  the  face 
again,  nor  did  she  care.  She  was  sorry  for 
Cathewe.  His  life  would  be  as  broken  as  hers; 
but  a  man  has  the  world  under  his  feet,  scenes  of 
action,  changes  to  soothe  his  hurt :  a  woman  has  lit 
tle  else  but  her  needle. 

All  through  the  day  and  all  through  the  night  she 
remained  on  guard,  surrendering  her  vigil  only  to 
M.  Ferraud.  With  cold  cloths  she  kept  down  the 
fever,  wiping  the  hot  face  and  hands.  He  would 
pull  through,  the  surgeon  said,  but  he  would  have  his 
nurse  to  thank.  There  was  something  about  the 
man  the  doctor  did  not  understand :  he  acted  as  if  he 
did  not  care  to  live. 

The  morning  found  her  still  at  her  post.  Breit- 
mann  awoke  early,  and  appeared  to  take  little  in 
terest  in  his  surroundings. 

"  Why  do  you  waste  your  time  ?  "  his  voice  was 
colorless. 

"  I  am  not  wasting  my  time,  Karl." 

His  head  rolled  slowly  over  on  the  pillow  till  he 


364  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

could  see  outside.  Only  two  or  three  fishing-boats 
were  visible. 

"  When  will  the  yacht  sail?  " 

Always  that  question !  "  Go  to  sleep.  I  will 
wake  you  when  I  see  it." 

"  I've  been  a  scoundrel,  Hildegarde ; "  and  he 
closed  his  eyes. 

Where  would  she  go  when  he  left  this  room? 
For  the  future  was  always  rising  up  with  this  ques 
tion.  What  would  she  do,  how  would  she  live? 
She  too  shut  her  eyes. 

The  door  opened.  The  visitor  was  M.  Ferraud. 
He  touched  his  lips  with  a  finger  and  stole  toward 
the  bed. 

"Better?" 

She  nodded. 

"  Are  you  not  dead  for  sleep  ?  " 

"  It  does  not  matter." 

Breitmann's  eyes  opened,  for  his  brain  was  wide 
awake.  "  Ferraud  ?  " 

"  Yes.  They  wished  me  to  say  good-by  for 
them." 

"  To  me?  "  incredulously. 


THE  END  OF  THE  DREAM          365 

"  They  have  none  but  good  wishes." 

"  She  will  never  know  ?  " 

"  Not  unless  Mr.  Fitzgerald  tells  her." 

"  Hildegarde,  I  had  planned  her  abduction. 
Don't  misunderstand.  I  have  sunk  low  indeed,  but 
not  so  low  as  that.  I  wanted  to  harry  them.  They 
would  have  left  me  free.  She  was  to  be  a  pawn. 
I  shouldn't  have  hurt  her." 

;<  You  do  not  care  to  return  to  Germany  ?  " 

"  Nor  to  France,  M.  Ferraud." 

"  There's  a  wide  world  outside.  You  will  find 
room  enough,"  diffidently. 

"An  outlaw?" 

"  Of  a  kind." 

"  Be  easy.  I  haven't  even  the  wish  to  be  buried 
there.  There  is  more  to  the  story,  more  than  you 
know.  My  name  is  Herman  Stiiler  ...  if 
I  live.  There  is  not  a  drop  of  French  blood  in  my 
veins.  Breitmann  died  on  the  field  in  the  Soudan, 
and  I  took  his  papers."  His  eyes  burned  into  Fer- 
raud's. 

"  Perhaps  that  would  be  the  best  way,"  replied  M. 
Ferraud  pensively. 


366  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  the  money  ?  It  is  under 
the  bed." 

"  Keep  it.  No  one  will  contest  your  right  to  it, 
Herman  Stiiler;  and  besides,  your  French,  fluent 
a9  it  is,  still  posseses  the  Teutonic  burr.  Yes,  Her 
man  Stiiler;  very  good,  indeed." 

Hildegarde  eyed  them  in  wonder.  Were  they 
both  mad  ? 

"Will  you  be  sure  always  to  remember?"  said 
M.  Ferraud  to  the  bewildered  woman.  "  Herman 
Stiiler;  Karl  Breitmann,  who  was  the  great  grand 
son  of  Napoleon,  died  of  a  gunshot  in  Africa.  If 
you  will  always  remember  that,  why  even  Paris  will 
be  possible  some  day." 

Hildegarde  was  beginning  to  understand.  She 
was  coming  to  bless  this  little  man. 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  the  money  under  the  bed 
is  safe  there.  I  shall,  if  you  wish,  make  arrange 
ments  with  the  local  agents  of  the  Credit  Legonnais 
to  take  over  the  sum,  without  question,  and  to  issue 
you  two  drafts,  one  on  London  and  the  other  on 
New  York,  or  in  two  letters  of  credit.  Two  mil 
lions;  it  is  a  big  sum  to  let  repose  under  one's  bed, 


THE  END  OF  THE  DREAM         367 

anywhere,  let  alone  Corsica,  where  the  amount  might 
purchase  half  the  island." 

"  I  am,  then,  a  rich  man ;  no  more  crusades,  no 
more  stale  bread  and  cheap  tobacco,  no  more  turning 
my  cuffs  and  collars  and  clipping  the  frayed  edges 
of  my  trousers.  I  am  fortunate.  There  is  a  joke, 
too.  Picard  and  his  friends  advanced  me  five  thou 
sand  francs  for  the  enterprise." 

"  I  marvel  where  they  got  it !  " 

"  J  am  sorry  that  I  was  rough  with  you." 

"  I  bear  you  not  the  slightest  ill-will.  I  never 
have.  Herman  Stiiler;  I  must  remember  to  have 
them  make  out  the  drafts  in  that  name." 

Breitmann  appeared  to  be  sleeping  again.  After 
waiting  a  moment  or  two,  his  guardian-angel  tip 
toed  out. 

An  hour  went  by. 

"  Hildegarde,  have  you  any  money  ?  " 

"  Enough  for  my  needs." 

"  Will  you  take  half  of  it?" 

"Karl!" 

"Will  you?" 

"No!" 


368  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

He  accepted  this  as  final.  And  immediately  his 
gaze  became  fixed  on  the  bay.  A  sleek  white  ship 
was  putting  out  to  sea. 

"  They  are  leaving,  Karl,"  she  said,  and  the  cour 
age  in  her  eyes  beat  down  the  pain  in  her  heart. 

"  In  my  coat,  inside;  bring  them  to  me."  As  he 
could  move  only  his  right  arm  and  that  but  pain 
fully,  he  bade  her  open  each  paper  and  hold  it  so 
that  he  could  read  plainly.  The  scrawl  of  the  Great 
Captain;  a  deed  and  title;  some  dust  dropping  from 
the  worn  folds :  how  he  strained  his  eyes  upon  them. 
He  could  not  help  the  swift  intake  of  air,  and  the 
stab  which  pierced  his  shoulder  made  him  faint. 
She  began  to  refold  them.  "  No,"  he  whispered. 
"  Tear  them  up,  tear  them  up !  " 

"  Why,  Karl." 

"  Tear  them  up,  now,  at  once.  I  shall  never  look 
at  them  again.  Do  it.  What  does  it  matter?  I 
am  only  Herman  Stiiler.  Now !  " 

With  shaking  fingers  she  ripped  the  tattered 
sheets,  and  the  tears  ran  over  and  down  her  cheeks. 
It  would  not  have  hurt  her  more  had  she  torn  the 
man's  heart  in  twain.  He  watched  her  with  fe 
vered  eyes  till  the  last  scrap  floated  into  her  lap. 


THE  END  OF  THE  DREAM          369 

"  Now,  toss  them  into  the  grate  and  light  a 
match." 

And  when  he  saw  the  reflected  glare  on  the  op 
posite  wall,  he  sank  deeper  into  the  pillow.  The 
woman  was  openly  sobbing.  She  came  back  to  his 
side,  knelt,  and  laid  her  lips  upon  his  hand.  There 
was  now  only  a  dim  white  speck  on  the  horizon,  and 
with  that  strange  sea-magic  the  hull  suddenly  dipped 
down,  and  naught  but  a  trail  of  smoke  remained. 
Then  this  too  vanished.  Breitmann  withdrew  his 
hand,  but  he  laid  it  upon  her  head. 

"  I  am  a  broken  man,  Hildegarde ;  and  in  my 
madness  I  have  been  something  of  a  rascal.  But 
for  all  that,  I  had  big  dreams,  but  thus  they  go,  the 
one  in  flames  and  the  other  out  to  sea."  He  stroked 
her  hair.  "  Will  you  take  what  is  left?  Will  you 
share  with  me  the  outlaw,  be  the  wife  of  a  disap 
pointed  outcast?  Will  you?  " 

"  Would  I  not  follow  you  to  any  land  ?  Would 
I  not  share  with  you  any  miseries  ?  Have  you  ever 
doubted  the  strength  of  my  love?  " 

"  Knowing  that  there  was  another  ?  " 

"  Knowing  even  that." 

"  It  is  I  who  am  little  and  you  who  are  great. 


370  A  SPLENDID  HAZARD 

Hildegarde,  we'll  have  our  friend  Ferraud  seek  a 
priest  this  afternoon  and  square  accounts." 

Her  head  dropped  to  the  coverlet. 

After  that  there  was  no  sound  except  the  crisp 
metallic  rattle  of  the  palms  in  the  freshening 
breeze. 


THE  END 


•t  . 


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